5 Ways To Make Sure Your Kids and You Enjoy (And Ahem, Survive) NDP 2019

When we were doing our research for this story – read: sourcing advice from our friends aka parents who had taken their kids to any NDP – we got many snide, jaded responses like “Yes, you let me know too when you find out” or “Haha, are you kidding? Kids at NDP?”. Even Guru Google didn’t throw up many searches.

You can thank us for this cheat sheet if you are headed to the Padang where the National Day Parade 2019 will be held for the first time since 2015 to celebrate 54 years of independence and also to commemorate Singapore’s bicentennial.

And if you are spending your foreign currency in some neighbouring country, at least you know what to do when the time comes and you finally get your hands on those elusive NDP tickets and decide that you want to instil heart-thumping, misty-eyed patriotism in your young ones.

1. Make them wear diapers

I know, so cruel and inhumane, right. But parents who have braved the NDP experience with their children swear by nappies because toilet breaks are very leh cheh. Of course, we are talking about children who are of a diaper-appropriate age (don’t do this to your eight-year-old and scar him emotionally for life). If your kids are older, make sure they relieve themselves before being seated. 

2. Get seated a little later

One mother shared that her family got to their seats just before the parade started so that there would be no fidgeting and tantrum-throwing. Your child will be happily distracted by the festive atmosphere anyway. Hint: depending on the weather, the popular Red Lions Free Fall performance takes place just a little before 6pm.

3. Bring portable fans

NDP tickets are always hot. What’s hotter: the SG weather.

4. Pack water… even iced water

A sweaty kid is an angry kid. The antidote: cold water stored in a small cooler bag. But don’t over-hydrate (see point 1). The NDP fun pack includes a bottle of mineral water too.

5. And pack food

We spy potato chips and cookies in this year’s NDP fun pack but they won’t stave off hunger pangs much, considering how the parade takes more than three hours and during dinner time at that. Bring mess-free nosh, like buns and crackers. Someone spotted a family dining on home-made bento boxes but that’s just being too overachieving, really.  

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