When you tell someone you live in Dubai, you expect raised eyebrows as they picture the glitz and the glam, the mansions, the fast cars, the wall-to-wall sunshine and the ostentatious wealth the UAE is known for.
Most people assume you’ve got a team of helpers to look after the house and the kids while you swan around being a lady that lunches with a collection of designer handbags and a tiny dog by your side.
But that’s not real life here—not for me and my family anyway. For us, Dubai is our very normal family home. It’s where I met my husband, where I started my business, where I’ve pursued my passions and where I gave birth to my children. It’s ultimately where I am choosing to raise my family for the foreseeable future because for my family, Dubai really is an ideal place for kids to grow up.
In amongst the skyscrapers and the superyachts, there is a beating heart to the city that is welcoming, inclusive and incredibly supportive of family life. Step outside on the weekend and you’ll find green parks and sandy beaches full of all ages having fun and trying out new activities together. You’ll see families camping in the mountains, going on adventures in the desert or just simply enjoying a meal together. Waterparks, countless soft play facilities, tourist attractions and theme parks are all on our doorstep, but there’s also a heap of down-to-earth mum groups where you can find support and connect with like-minded people.
The friends you make when you’re living away from home can quickly become family. Most expats are extremely supportive of each other and go out of their way to help you out, because we’ve all been there once—whether that’s being the new girl at work, the new mum or even just the rookie at a gym class, expats get what it is like to put yourself out there and we’ve got each other’s backs.
As a mom, I think the UAE is one of the safest countries in the world which is so reassuring when you’ve got little ones. If you lose something when you’re out and about, nine times out of ten you’ll get it back. I don’t fear for my safety when I am out at night and I don’t have to constantly watch my back. It’s a really nice way to live.
The downside? When you’re living in a foreign country which isn’t your home, it’s pretty normal to feel displaced some of the time and struggle with missing home comforts. When you become a mother and you’re far from your safety blanket of family and friends, it can add a whole new level of isolation. The loss of identity some women go through when they enter motherhood is amplified a hundred times when the ’village’ that everyone talks about, just simply isn’t there.
Your nearest and dearest back home miss out on key milestones and sometimes when you meet up with people again, you realize everything has changed and you weren’t there to see it. But on the flipside, grandparents can come over and spend quality time with us whenever they like, often for weeks at a time. Then in the summer, when this desert really heats up, we can go home to the UK and spend a few weeks reconnecting with old friends and our old lives.
Travel is super easy from Dubai and you’ll find most families jetting off to places like The Maldives, The Seychelles, Thailand, Europe, the US or Australia when school is out. With two kids under two, holidays most certainly haven’t been a priority for us over the last few months, but as they get older, we are looking forward to making the most of Dubai’s location as a travel hub. Plus, I’m a writer so I am fortunate that I can work from anywhere.
So, what’s the best thing about living here? For me, Dubai has provided an incredibly supportive and nurturing environment as a mum and for my family. It really is a place for our family to call home and in my opinion one of the most fun, most safe and most exciting places to raise children in the world.
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