To take my 5 year old autistic daughter to the NYE London fireworks?

[MumOfOneAllAlone]

Hi everyone

I'm posting as I need really some advice. I'm an east londoner but I've never been to the NYE fireworks.

It's just my daughter and I, and she LOVES the NYE fireworks which we watch from home.

Tickets are £20 each and are released on my payday.

She is a very sweet girl who has autism so is pre verbal. I'd take her in her buggy and would go to the accessible area. She'd have ear defenders, a big coat, blanket and her tablet.

Has anyone done this? I imagine it'd be packed but is it out of the question considering her autism? And her age?

She doesn't love crowds but will be okay in her buggy with her blanket over her head (she always does this). We could take the tube close to home and then I'd pay surge price for an uber so we don't have to walk home in the dark.

I hope I don't sound like a bad mum. She really will love the fireworks and it could be a great memory for her. But if it's gonna be too much bother, I'd keep her home.

TIA ❤️🎄

@Futurethinking2026 did you read the OP post correctly. To begin with she wasn't considering letting her child stay up to watch the fireworks on tv at home as you discuss but to take her into central London that would be cold/rainy/heaving with people with no guaranteed way home.

She has re-evaluated her lovely well intentioned idea to something that will be just as enjoyable if not more so.

I'd agree Op no issue with keeping kids up for the bells, or as is often done let them have a nap early evening then get them up about 10.30 to enjoy the run up to 12pm.

I just don't think a busy city full of young rowdy adults is the place for a young child.

I would take her to bonfire night ones and watch on tv. It's so crowded

🥺🥺 you've defo picked up my unsettledness

It's been just us since she was about 9 months old, but I am always feeling like I'm not giving her enough

She goes to a school with a class for autistic children but doesn't really socialise much with kids outside of school - I'm working on changing that, trying to find places to take her that'll have familiar autistic faces but finding it hard.

For example, when we go to the local park, there's different kids each time, so it's difficult for her to feel comfortable socialising

So I've thrown myself into christmas and new year 🙃

Thank you 🥺🥰 - I love what you do with yours, - I think we could do some city breaks next year. As long as there's a mcdonalds and strong wifi, she's usually happy. Defo agree that we need an indoorsy nye though x

Having done it as an adult without children I would absolutely not recommend.

It’s absolutely packed. There is tonnes of standing around. It’s actually quite boring. My friend was pickpocketed. Getting home was an absolutely nightmare, we walked miles and miles, couldn’t get on a tube, couldn’t get on a bus. The crowd turned a touch aggressive at one point after midnight, there were police horses and you couldn’t go where you wanted to.

I was thinking she'd have the tablet until the fireworks x

but agree it's not at all a workable idea 🙈, being stuck in huge unorganised crowds would be awful x

I think this is a good idea, and it's lovely how you've worked with him x

The lack of an easy and quick exit in case shes overwhelmed was one of the major flaws I think, plus the danger of such a crowd - will keep her indoors and try to find a local bonfire night x

@MumOfOneAllAlone honestly dont worry too much about socialising, my DD does have a group of good friends but she actually isn't that fussed about seeing other children and socialising.

It is very common for children with autism to be friends with others with autism and ADHD as their brains work similarly and they just get each other. So instead of going to the park why not look into groups where ND children are likely to be, at groups you'll get a regular group of people too. That could be a specific autism group or a lego group, art group, as she gets older you are lucky as you live in London so you can take her to the Royal Institute for their family lectures, or the Royal Albert Hall for their Sunday family sessions.

Yes and I replied to that early on, saying don’t go but then the poster she was replying to here has basically said she shouldn’t be keeping her DD up at all, to which I’ve said ignore that and do what suits your DD (ie at home not in central London).

@Singleandproud it was this one she was replying to that I said to ignore.

I went years ago. There were people with buggies, but it was awful. So hard for them to get through the crowds, people falling into the buggies/prams. I doubt any child in a buggy saw anything and it frankly looked dangerous. Uber will be a nightmare at any price. I would wait until DD is older. And if you are desperate to go, save up and get a hotel room somewhere with a roof garden or balcony - that way you can see the fireworks, avoid the crush and not have to struggle home.

Thank you - I do love having her with me, as the year is ours, rather than mine, if that makes sense xx

I do feel like it'll be dangerous tbh, I've definitely got a different image than the pretty light filled one I had when I posted 😄, thank you x

Thank you, I wasn't thinking of all the young adults 😄, now I am, I'm sure it'll be a boozy, smoky, packed affair, so glad we'll be safe at home aha x

Yeah, I think it's nice to see in the new year with the one you love the most x

Thank you 🥺

I agree, finding it hard to find anything local, outside of the brownies (huge wait) and the council run schemes we attend during the holidays, which she does love. I'll keep on trying

London is great for days out, she loves the transport museum the most 🤭

I'm looking for a way to friend you but can't see one x

I wouldn't, it's not just the being there it's the getting there and the getting oit. It takes aaages. Then depending how you got in the trains are packed and bright and loud, the roads or choked off for a good portion if you drive. Could you maybe get a cheap projector and instead project the televised ones big on the ceiling while you lie under it on a blanket like you're outside? Or take her to an earlier local display, lots are earlier for kids earlier bedtimes.

I used to invite a few friends round for tea then fireworks and sparklers in our garden. My dc have autism and couldn't cope with crowds in public spaces. But loved having 1 or 2 school friends to have our own private firework show. So they'd still be joining in but on their own terms.

Can you buy extra fireworks and keep a set for NYE to do in your own garden, if you have one?

Oh I love the idea of hiding under the covers with the fireworks projected onto the ceiling!

Completely agree, she needs an escape and there just wouldn't be one x

I can't find any electric sparklers online but I'm wondering how safe actual sparklers are for her

We have a garden but I wouldn't do the real fireworks as I have no experience and the posters of injuries that were about during my childhood have terrified me for life 😅

Thank you x

@MumOfOneAllAlone I think people stick sparklers in the end of carrots and have the kids hold the carrot these days, my sons not even at carrot holding stage but I've seen it done and thought it was a great idea to avoid burns!

It takes HOURS to get away from the display areas afterwards. I wouldn't do it.

Another mum said the same thing - I think what I'll do is try one out when I'm by myself, to see what it's like, as I've genuinely zero experience and it does sound like a nice idea x

No way. I've been as an NT adult and it's hard work. There's a lot of waiting as they close off the viewing areas early. The post firework crawl to a heaving tube, no. And there's a good chance it'll be raining/freezing.

Depending on her level of understanding you could have the TV/internet on all new years eve watching the displays from the different cities as the time zones pass. I like doing this ☺️

I don't know where in London you are (and have only skim read the thread so sorry if this has already been suggested) but is going to a local-ish high point and watching the fireworks from there a possibility? When I lived in SE London we went to the top of Crystal Palace Park for NYE once, I don't think we could see the central London fireworks but we saw absolutely thousands of others going off all around us for miles and miles.