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.

This ⬆️ 💯

Haha that knocks me onto a new page, thus making my arrow pointless 😂

Uptightmum you are minimising unkind and disrespectful behaviour. There are many reasons why knock and run can be horrible for people. Elderly and vulnerable people in particular. My son has severe asd and LD, it would cause him massive distress.

Horrible kids. But your response to parents when they said kids wanted to apologise, 'just parent your kids'....surely that's what they were doing? By getting them to apologise? People can be great parents and their kids might still mess up, do something stupid and selfish. Your response lacked grace.

You're part of the problem and should have a word with yourself.

You don't know if the people inside the house are vulnerable, elderly, have DA in their past, or even work shifts and don't need disturbing.

A few years ago someone ringing my bell unexpectedly would have sent me into an anxiety spiral, because I'd not long left an abusive relationship and was terrified that he'd find me so was hyper aware of people approaching my house.

It's not harmless fun.

@EmptyTheFrickingBins exactly.

A close relative died at home with palliative support, I would have been beside myself if something like that had happened in their final days.

No-one knows what people are dealing with behind their front doors, and people work hard for the roof over their heads and deserve to live free of harassment. People's irritation and distress are not forms of entertainment for children.

Put a note through her door saying you've checked your cctv and it was her son on previous occasions and if he does it again you'll go to the police for harassment and you'll also be posting it on fb.

They are kids. I never said I wouldn’t do anything about it but I wouldn’t punish my kid for playing and not let him back out for knock and run. As I said I would apologise and tell them to stop. I live on a corner house the kids kid the ball against my fence all day long it’s annoying but they are kids.

Kicking a ball against a fence is just playing and people should put up with it.

Knock and run is harassment. It's only entertaining because it might be upsetting someone. They would not bother if the house was known to be empty.

Tbh I’d just fast forward to contacting the police, as they will go and have a gentle word with them now. If they’ve broken your gate buzzer, it’s already criminal damage. It’s not that they’ll press charges, but it should make them stop. I’d also put a ‘cctv’ sign on the gate so that they and their mates know they are being recorded.

We had a group of older teens playing knock down ginger at 10pm-midnight, but actually kicking the door in. The first few times it was actually scary and my kids were really upset. Every Tuesday so obv after a club or when parents were out. We got cctv but also emailed the neighbourhood group email asking any parents to have a chat with their sons even if they didn’t feel they were responsible - we explained that it was deeply distressing when home alone with kids (mine are on the spectrum) and if they were doing it to other vulnerable households it was deeply unkind. It stopped, although our cameras did catch the same group of lads walking past one tues and one trying to push/egg on another to enter our drive. The CCTV was enough to stop it.

Wear a balaclava and big coat and every morning at 4am ring their door bell constantly then run off.

But they are kids and if you read my comment properly I said I would tell my child to stop it and get them to apologise but then OP is saying they are back out playing. I wouldn’t keep my child in either cos they played knock and run. I would tell them to stop it, if it became continuous then that would be different but she’s only told the mum once. People saying ring the police etc they are kids they do these things? They are ringing a door bell bit setting fire to her fence. I am sure 99% of the people on here played some form of knock and run when they were kids.

Honestly you can't win! If you'd sent her a note/text or done it a more anonymous way, she could have said "why didn't you just knock!" - doesn't take einstein to work out why the child is such an obnoxious little devil! I agree - ring doorbell. Don't even bother going round again - if you catch them online just post it on your local social media post with their faces very clearly blown up!

ZOMBIE ZOMBIE ZOMBIE THREAD

Tell her to sort her child or you will report home to the police WITH EVIDENCE of being anti social.
And if she feels the need to mouth about it you can show the others the footage!

I'm sure she will shut up then!!

I am sure 99% of the people on here played some form of knock and run when they were kids.

I hope not! Maybe I am just part of the 1% but it would not have occurred to me at any age to think that harassing people was funny.