Kids playing knock-a-door-run

maurice28

Just a bit of a vent really. For two of the last three nights, kids have been playing knock-a-door-run on our house and it’s pretty annoying.

On Monday evening, it happened once. Answered the door, no-one there, and I thought fair enough, a one off is fine. But last night they did it twice. First time I just ignored it but the second time I went to the door quick to see them running round the corner, one on a scooter.

I calmly walked round the corner to try and see if I could tell whose kids they were but it was dark but couldn’t get a proper look. They saw me coming and ran off anyway.

We are 90% sure at least one of the kids lives across the road, and I was tempted to go across and ask the parents if they knew if their kid was out playing on their scooter but didn’t want to start something without being sure. If it was their kid, I’d like to think they would react by telling them off but I’m not sure they would!

I’d normally write it off as kids being kids but my wife is due to give birth in a few weeks and she really doesn’t need the hassle of things like this so I wanted to nip in the bud quick if possible.

So anyway, I’ll see if they do it again tonight. I’ll probably ignore it and hope they get bored (unless they start doing it constantly) so just wondered if anyone else had had this experience, what you did, how it ended etc etc.

paulsad

Stick a big note on the door in big letters saying you know who they are and if they carry on you'll go round and tell the parents.

lulu_92

Get a doorbell, rig it so it gives the kids an electric shock

aileth

We used to have a group who did this consistently for a good week as we were the house on the end. After the second time we knew their game, so turned off the doorbell, closed the hallway door and completely ignored them, didn't answer the door. They do it to get a reaction, no reaction and they get fed up and don't bother.

hazyjo

Did you ever do it as a kid


It's usually a five minute wonder. The bigger deal you make of it, the more they'll do it.


Jx

smifffy1989

I would not answer the door, that is the reaction they are after. They will stop doing it as you will be considered 'boring'

Spendless

Is there much of a timescale in between the knocks? I ask because we live close to a youth club and this is a favourite game of the kids waiting or having breaks at our house. We haven't found that ignoring works, as the kids often don't hang about to see if you open the door or not, they just get their thrill from knowing they've knocked and ran off. What has worked is having the hallway light in darkness after they've knocked for the first time and standing directly behind the front door and opening it as soon as they knock. Has made them jump when they know they've been 'caught'.:D

maurice28

Spendless wrote: »

Is there much of a timescale in between the knocks? I ask because we live close to a youth club and this is a favourite game of the kids waiting or having breaks at our house. We haven't found that ignoring works, as the kids often don't hang about to see if you open the door or not, they just get their thrill from knowing they've knocked and ran off. What has worked is having the hallway light in darkness after they've knocked for the first time and standing directly behind the front door and opening it as soon as they knock. Has made them jump when they know they've been 'caught'.:D

It was about 20 minutes between the knocks. We are pretty sure it is the same small group of kids so hopefully they will get bored. Think ignoring it might be the way to go.

fizz

Don't answer the door! The children are only doing it for a reaction, so don't give them one.

fizz

shegirl

hazyjo wrote: »

Did you ever do it as a kid


It's usually a five minute wonder. The bigger deal you make of it, the more they'll do it.


Jx

This ^^


The bigger deal you make out of their cherry knocking (that's what it's called, by the way) the more amusing they will find it.


I used to have fits of laughter doing it to my own parents,even more so when they built a wall around the front garden and me and my friends would tie catgut to their knocker, hide behind the wall and tug it to make it knock the door :rotfl:

lostinrates

hazyjo wrote: »

Did you ever do it as a kid



Jx

I genuinely didn't. ( though wasn't perfect)

And if I had and my parents had been told I would have been given a huge lecture about how it might have impacted on the people and then wouldn't have been punished.

That said, I'm not a parent, I'd be interested in what parents here would say and do if someone accused their children of it.