Kids.. football... language barrier

[LessOfaMess]

Our garden runs parallel to a recently built street which leads to some flats. The kids from the flats frequently play football in the street. Not a problem at all. I love that they're actually playing and getting exercise instead of being glued to tv etc and wish more kids would chose to do so.
3 or 4 times an evening the ball will come over the wall. I don't mind throwing it over and they are very polite but as the nights are getting longer it's becoming much more frequent and they've just knocked at 9:45pm!
I have three young kids in bed. I've had to disable my doorbell because they would ring repeatedly till I answered waking the kids up. Now they knock until I answer. The other day I was in the shower and I only realised they were knocking repeatedly because my neighbour messaged me asking if we were okay - by this time the neighbour had asked them to leave and I was dealing with two of the kids they'd woken.. I thought it was just Sod's law they woke as soon as I got in the shower but turns out it was the kids knocking incessantly.

I want to ask them not to knock after 8pm. Quite simply because my kids are all in bed. I'm enjoying my evening and I don't want to be jumping up and down answering the door and traipsing down the garden several times a night. I have asked them before but they still do it. English is not their first language and I have no idea how to get the message across?

Of course if I happened to be in the garden after 8 and saw a ball I would happily throw it over the wall. It's just the constant up and down and worrying every time I use the loo that they'll start knocking and wake the kids.
Am I being a miserable old bugger here?

Do you know what language they do speak? If so I'd google translate a polite message saying you have kids in bed and won't answer the door or return their ball past 8pm stick it on the front door.

I'm afraid I don't! I know my child recognised a few of them from school so perhaps if he could remember their name (he's 4 so rather inconsistent with names) I could ask the school?

Any clues about language at all? If you could narrow it down to say an Asian language, Eastern European, African etc then you could write down what you want to say in a few different languages and see if they recognise anything. A flag next to each different language could help as well if they are only young.

See, this is absolutely right, we have a smallish garden and my sons, although they try hard not to, occasionally kick a ball into next door’s garden. We have told them when this happens they just have to wait until the ball gets thrown back over as it’s annoying to be disturbed by children knocking on your door. However, neighbour told me the other day she expects them to come and ask for the ball back, and that she doesn’t want them expecting that it will just be thrown back over for them . Maybe she thinks having to go and ask will stop them from kicking it over, but it is definitely not deliberate, they get very upset at the thought of not having their ball for a few hours or days.

Could you create a picture using something like PECS symbols. Maybe quiet, baby, sleeping?

So no, definitely not being U to ask them not to knock.

@Dixiebell aw that's difficult!
I honestly do not mind them knocking at all before 8ish. I wouldn't be a dick and not answer at 8:05pm or anything like that and I really think it's lovely they're playing outside... I just want to enjoy my down time too. I don't get much, and 7pm till 11pm is mine!

I would imagine at least one of them would have a basic understanding of english, show them your watch and say no knocking after 8 because your children are sleeping. If they knock again say its too late and they have to wait untill morning. Or even put a sign on the door saying no knocking at 8.

Can they get in your garden without knocking? Maybe try and communicate they can just get the ball no need to knock.

@upsideup I will give it a go.
I know there's a girl who sometimes plays with them who seems to speak very good English. She never seems to be the one who knock though. I think on Saturday I will keep an eye out during the day for her and see if I can have a chat before they start knocking. They usually play for most of The afternoon at the weekend

Maybe a pictorial sign.

A clock showing 8pm with a bed and zzzzzz

Then a door and bell with a line through it?

@Littletreefrog no, we have a locked gate down the side for security. I'm home alone with the kids a lot and wouldn't feel comfortable having kids in and out of the garden throughout the evening.
Plus the gate makes a bloody racket every time it opens which always wakes the baby up as it's attached to her bedroom wall

@Thehop I like it! Cracking idea!

How about turning the lights off downstairs?

@firstevernamechange they're usually off anyway. I'm a hermit and tend to sit in the back room reading or head up to bed and read