Kids Playing Pranks--would This Make You Mad?

17 years ago (this Thrusday) I lost my brother in a car accident and I found out about in a 10:30pm phone call. My heart stops everytime the phone rings after 10pm and if someone knocked on my door late at night they would meet my 150lb Mastiff/Dane.

The problem with crank calling or Ding Dong Ditching on strangers or near strangers is that you never know who you are going to reach and how it is going to affect them.

I would be angry too and it would not matter if I had little kids or not. I think you handled it right and if the other moms thought you over reacted then maybe they will warn their kids not to prank you again... problem solved = )

Forking. You have no idea how back breaking it is when you try to pull one out and the fork breaks off.

that would annoy the heck outa me
but, i was a prank puller growing up (still get the urges) but we never wanted to get caught and always did things very quietly that the neighbors could enjoy with their morning coffee

if it were me, i would have TP'd their houses as payback. lol.

Yep, I'd be pretty irritated.

Especially, if my DH was away on business- and the doorbell rang @ that hour, it probably have made me nervous.

I don't think you were over reacting at all.

Added
Surfnsk8mom- your response made me laugh. I kinda forgot that when I was a teenager, my friends and I played the occasional prank too- we'd just do things like move a For Sale sign from one neighbors yard to another's- never anything that would scare or disturb anyone.

I think you handled this situation well. You did not over react to the prank. But I suggest that you're over reacting, over thinking, about the moms' responses. There are other reasons than them thinking you're over reacting for a cool response. One would be embarrassment.

You did the right thing. Have faith (confidence) in yourself.

I'd be pretty irritated. I think if no one had been disturbed I probably would have let it go, but yes, since your child woke up and then you had to get everyone calmed down, I'd be peeved!

I also agree with Linda that had my husband been away I probably would have called 911 in a state of panic that a burgler was testing whether or not I was home! LOL! I'm a MAJOR scaredy cat when he's away!

irritated, not mad. But i'm a crotchety old lady, I'm supposed to be irritable! I remember what it was like to be a kid and looking back, boy was I a knucklehead. I'm sure I pissed off a few grownups. and so the cycle of life continues. as long as there is no proprty damage, no harm done.

As long as the other moms were nice about it and promised to talk to their boys, and as long as you were nice to them as well, then it doesn't really matter what your impressions were as to whether or not they thought you were over-reacting. The boys came on your property after what is a typical curfew during the week, but this was a Saturday night, and they rang your bell, ran away, and crank called you. As long as they keep it to that one time then I'd really let it go and not dwell on it.

You might also think about your description of your reaction to a childhood prank that was truly harmless. You were "livid." You were "angry." Pranks like this are meant to be silly and frustrating... so I think by the description of your day, the kids were wound up, you were wound up and exhausted and probably already on edge, and this little incident pushed you right over.

::snipped::

The so-called pranks that upset me most are ones that include property damage, theft, and harm to animals.

EDIT: With your "what happened" and clarifications, as well as noting that you've had problems with these boys before, I amend my answer a bit. I have a lot more empathy for you now. :-)

In my original response to you I was under the impression that this was a first-time offense with these boys. Since you've had problems with them before, it's a pattern of harassment even if they're not causing property damage and harassment is also illegal. So from here on out call the police. Especially since if they continue to do it from here on out, it either means their parents didn't talk to them as promised OR the boys didn't take their parents' warnings seriously.

I think you did the right thing by messaging the moms about it.

And I don't think I would be, mad, no, but maybe a little irritated. I do remember being a kid and TP'ing people and having fun being silly. BUT - we were not disturbing people at almost 11pm by doing this.

Are these kids friends of your kids? Better question - are these boys and is your 14 yr old a cute girl? If so, that may be a little motivation!

Also, I wouldn't assume you know these moms thought you were overreacting if you only talked to them through text messages. (you say you messaged them). Unless, of course, they said "Um, you are overreacting".

I would avoid "payback" though, because that only encourages it to continue!

But no, I wouldn't be mad. But if it continues and disrupts your life, then I would get a little more irritated and really have a talk with the moms.

Well, my son has a sleeping disorder and we have 3 dogs ... if I knew who they were I would have waited until 10:30 Sunday and rang the door bell and called the house line from my cell phone all at the same time! I am not always as diplomatic as other moms on here may be but as far as I am concerned if the issue was not resolved quickly all out war was to be raged and I will win! Plus, in my area I could have called the cops for a domestic disturbance and would not have been shy to do so should it happen again. How is that for "overreacting" ... sometimes people do not react enough.
* Diana P ... I like the way you think, almost ... more fun and effective for ME to do it myself though ;)

I get why you were so mad (I HATE to have my sleep interrupted!) but that seems to be the age when kids test these things. I wouldn't be angry unless it happens again. At that point, rather than a phone call, I would knock on the families door, and state your concerns in person. You don't need to be mean about it, just let the parents know it's happened again and you need it to stop. It makes a huge impression on the parents and especially the boys, if they are home. It most likely won't happen again after that :)

That would annoy me, too. It's too bad that you'd be setting a bad precident by sending your boys over to their houses at 10:40 next Sat night to ring and ditch, followed by a hang-up call a few minutes later. Those moms would probably then understand why you're mad.

I would talk to my kids about it if they were stupid like that. I'd chalk it up to mostly harmless fun, but remind them that sometimes people don't appreciate it and there's a time to pull pranks and a time not. 10:40 on a school or work night = not. I would not expect much of a response from the other parents to YOU but hopefully they did speak to the kids. If it continues, then be mad. If not, then chalk it up to a one-off deal.

When I was a teen my friends and I were the ones making those prank calls... boy, do I feel bad about it now that I am older. Teenagers don't think past having fun, Thank God they out grow that!

I remember when caller ID just came to our phone company. I was woken by a late night phone call which a young girl said "Help me" I said "what's wrong" she said "help me" I was thinking of someone getting attacked or hurt with no one home, it was really working the adrelien (however you spell it). Then she said "I can't get my bandaid to stick" and hung up. Ok, so I was the irratating teen, but that didn't stop my anger on that so I checked the caller id and knew the girl who did it. I called right back and when she answered I simply said "do not ever do that again, next time I will report it to the police". When I seen her next she told me how her mom was really pissed at my calling in the middle of the night like that! I never got a prank call after that. They are all grown now and I like to tease her when I see her. Some of this stuff you just have to laugh about it afterwards and not let it keep bothering you unless it continues to happen.

This reminds me of the jerks in our neighborhood that set off fireworks late at night...don't they have any consideration for those of us with young kids? And most of the people responsible are adults!

This happened to me as well. Last year a boy from our town called my house at 12:30 am and I woke up and ran for the phone. I have older children and my mom was ill at the time. It scared me to death. I figured out who and I called the parents. I was so mad that this boy would do this to me, he was my younger sons friend, I had this boy at my house .......took him places , out to eat to the parks. He stayed here a few times. I was so mad I would not let my son hang out with him anymore. I was hurt he could do this to someone who had been so nice to him. He still asks to come over to this day, I always say no.

The truth of the matter is that you just do not prank like that in 2011....I am really surprised it happened actually- Thought that was a relic of the olden days. We are not a society that tolerates that anymore-the world is too crazy. It could be anyone at the door-and people have gotten blown away for much less lately. Plus-um....such a thing as caller ID now idiots.

You did the right thing.

I hate being awakened-so much so-that I almost never sleep-and it is destroying my health-I would have been enraged! The mothers of the boys probably just didn't want to let on how embarrassed they are to have such rotten children.

I do not think you over reacted. I would have spoken to the moms as well.

We have been blessed with being TP'd along with sugar, squirt cheese, and mustard smeared on our driveway.

It is VANDALISM.... I called the police, made a report and daughter told kids we have a camera outside. Daughter is not allowed to do such a thing to anyone else, even if it is payback.

move forward a year, 2 boys made a chalk drawing of the male genitalia in its active form. We happened to see them. We got a picture they did not know about and after the police officer had a discussion with them, we never had another problem.

I know it is stupid pranks but it is against the law (at least in my town). There was a mom (how moronic) who took her daughter and friends to TP a friends house and guess what, police showed up and mom was in trouble because she drove them there.

People in my area pretty much know to leave us alone and we will not hesitate to contact authorities. We've dealt with some bullying and cyber bullying and when I nail someone's a$$ to the wall, I have no mercy because they were so mean to my daughter. I've had parents ask me to please not file a police report... My reply..."you denied that your child was attacking my child online and in school... why should I care what happens to your child not... they will be accountable"

I know I am harsh and bitter about about it. Thank goodness I have a strong kid who rose about it. Now I have to, lol

yes, I would be upset too!