AIBU re kids prank

[UncertainDIL]

Hi there. I live in a corner house beside a large green and approx twice a week kids ring my door bell several times and run off. My electric gate buzzer broke due to the kids holding down the button. I’ve three young kids (one a newborn) and it upsets my middle child greatly. Often you can see them walking past my house looking in my windows to see if anyone is home and hiding in the bushes beside my house. It interrupts feeding my newborn and everything else a SAHM does for three small kids! This evening, three boys (Approx 10-12) came up my driveway and rang the bell approx 5 times. They ran away laughing, I understand it’s just a funny prank to them. I recognised one of the boys who has done this before and walked around to his family home with my kids. I spoke to the mom, introduced myself and respectfully requested that her child doesn’t do what he did again please. I was calm and friendly. Immediately the mother got very agressive. She said how dare I come to her home like this. She said she was busy WFH and had two of her sons friends over for a play date. She said it was a circus that I’d brought my kids. I said I need to care for my children and can’t not bring them with me. I left then as she was clearly offended I had called and being honest I was totally taken aback by her aggression. Her son admitted to what he did but denied having done it before. I’m now really beginning to hate my house as feel so exposed. My DH works days at a time and I’m on my own a lot. I know they are only kids but it’s not nice to see them coming up the driveway. It’s also not nice being spoken to so derogatory. Admittedly post pregnancy my confidence isn’t that high and not I’m beginning to doubt whether i should of asked the boy to stop. It seems like a minor issue I know but I don’t like it happening. Apart from that I’m very happy at home with my children and getting out and about with them and my neighbours. Thanks for reading. Sorry for the long post.

I'd completely lose my shit if this was affecting my newborn. YANBU!

Call the police, show them her kid doing it, let them know it’s a recurring theme and that Mum was aggressive when you popped in to ask her to get them to stop. Also that it had already been broken once. Let them know that it’s harassment and the kid is old enough to be charged, but you would like a warning first please.

Call your local non emergency police number.

Invest in a super soaker garden sprinkler. Motion activated.
Let your family and friends know to call ahead.

This

Good thing you did go to the mother. Since she didn't like it she will just have to make sure her son doesn't bother you again.
Tell the kids you have got surveillance camera and that you will make an official complaint if they do it again.

We had similar issues on the new build estate I've just moved away from. When people posted about it on the community facebook page (not even with pictures, just a description!) you got some very angry, defensive parents going on about why not come to our door instead of posting on socials.
I mean firstly they probably didn't know the wee shits addresses and secondly the reaction OP got is exactly why!

OP you did everything right, you just encountered a horrible woman raising a horrible child.
Are you in Scotland by any chance?

I'm another thinking motion activated sprinklers, soak the little shits 😡
I would be furious if i found out my child was doing this and she would be in a LOT of trouble.

I'd be ringing on her door bell very time her kids did it to me just to let her know.

I’m actually in Ireland! Our police (Garda) don’t have as many anti social behaviour mechanisms available to them. If it continues to occur I will though report it though. I constantly have our electric gate closed to avoid them coming up the driveway which is annoying as it has to be then opened and closed 20 times a day with the kids! It’s when I have it open they come in and as my kids had just left to play on the green before me (I was changing babys nappy) it was open. Seriously thanks again as I started worrying I messed up and that I would be known as the cranky mommy giving out about “kids being kids”. It always happens when I’m rocking baby to sleep, feeding or changing a nappy. I do go to open it incase it was something to do with my eldest daughter out on the green. I was up three times with the baby last night and every time I woke I thought about it and had sick feeling in my tummy. I need to just go she’s the problem not me and forget about her as she’s not worth my energy. I admit I’m just a li sensitive, which is not me normally, but it’s the whole post baby thing. Other than that I’m doing really well but will work on myself to stop things like this effecting me. Thank you so much. All your comments made me feel I’m not loosing it and actually able to read a social situation!

You’re not in the wrong. The mum is being ridiculous complaining you showed up with your kids, what else can you do when their dad isn’t home to take care of them. She should have apologised and said she would make sure he didn’t do it again. You’ll have to keep going to the parents every time it happens if you want to stop it

If you get a sprinkler or water gun that’s great fun for them and will just encourage them more. Disconnect the bell, that will spoil their fun and they’ll soon get bored.

She is obviously part of the reason she has a rude, unpleasant child. She should have apologised to you. Don't give it any more thought. However I would be trying to identify the other culprits and doing similar visits to their parents. Even if they are defensive chances are their kids will be told to leave you alone. As a teacher I sometimes get this reaction when I inform parents of their kids behaviour. Sometimes though they hate the phone calls so much they do tell their kids to behave and it does have a positive impact eventually.

A tall fence with anti climb paint maybe?

The mum was totally out of order. I would be mortified if I found DS was doing this and would do everything I could to stop it.

Ring doorbell

Report anti social behaviour to school

Barry Manilow on speakers https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/rite-aid-barry-manilow/#:~:text=Rite%20Aid%20Stores%20Blast%20Barry%20Manilow%20To%20Deter%20Panhandlers%2C%20Vagrants,-June%2029%2C%202018&text=LOS%20ANGELES%20(CBSLA)%20%E2%80%94%20Even,to%20help%20ease%20the%20problem.

Doesn't always work, I did the same thing and the post got reported for "harassment" and I was given a FB ban! Unreal.

You are being unreasonable for reacting. It's knock door run; they'll always target people that react. That's the fun of it seeing the reaction; as annoying as it is don't react they'll stop.

I say this as someone who had this happen to me for a long time and it stopped once I stopped reacting.

Can you borrow a big dog for a few days!!

The doubting yourself is down to lack of confidence and many bullying types rely on that to shut you down. Glad posters have understood. Hope things get sorted,

They have never seen me react though. It used happen in the evening time when I was always busy with one of the kids. By time I got to the door it was only via our cameras that I knew it wasn’t a genuine caller! They were always long gone at that stage. Since I went to the boys door I’ve had no more

I am pleased for you that you are no longer being plagued by these boys. I would imagine that, although the mother reacted badly when you went to the house, she was, in fact, highly embarrassed and angry at the boys underneath. I would also assume that she notified the other boys’ parents and that they took an equally dim view of their sons’ behaviour and that appropriate punishments were delivered.

If you have the evidence log it and submit it on the council website as anti social behaviour - let them deal with it.

I wouldn’t punish or keep my kids in either for knock and run. I would apologise to you and tell them not to knock at your house no more but it’s knock and run so doesn’t really need much more than that saying.

This!

I wouldn’t punish or keep my kids in either for knock and run. I would apologise to you and tell them not to knock at your house no more but it’s knock and run so doesn’t really need much more than that saying.

Unfortunately it is parents like you that are the problem.
It's not okay for people to be repeatedly harassed in their homes. They might, like the OP, have a small baby. They may be unwell, even terminally ill.

The game was "fun" a generation ago as children would have a genuine fear of getting into trouble from the home owners or their parents.

Now no-one dares discipline other people's children, and parents like you don't, so it just becomes bullying of other households.

On my estate it escalated to stones and eggs, and damaged cars and front doors and some idiot parents still defended it.