Parents Back In Office, Kids At Home: UAE Families Get Creative As Early School Break Begins

2026-03-09 11:18:03

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

For working parents, the unexpected shift meant quickly rearranging routines while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for their children

PUBLISHED: Tue 10 Mar 2026, 5:00 AM

By:
Nandini Sircar

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Parents across the UAE are finding creative ways to keep their children engaged at home after schools brought forward the spring break - just as many workplaces have begun calling employees back to the office.

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The sudden overlap has left families juggling childcare, work commitments and the challenge of keeping young children occupied during the day.

For working parents in particular, the unexpected shift meant quickly rearranging routines while trying to maintain a sense of normalcy for their children.

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Regional tensions have remained high since Saturday, 28 February, with incidents of falling debris prompting authorities and schools to advance the holiday schedule as a precaution.

For Elena Rusu, a working mother of two living in Jumeirah Village Circle, the early start to the break came with little warning - just as offices in Dubai began calling employees back to in-person work.

“We had not planned for the holidays to begin this early, so the first few days were a bit chaotic,” she said.“I'm also getting back to my office routine now, so it has meant quickly figuring out how to keep the children occupied while balancing work again.”

Like many parents, Rusu has tried to introduce a simple structure at home to keep her children engaged during the day.

“I try to keep them engaged with a mix of activities throughout the day. In the mornings, they spend some time reading, and later they do a bit of art and craft, which my housemaid helps them with, since my children are four and nine,” she said.

Her older child, she explained, is able to work more independently, completing tasks from a workbook, while their housemaid takes the children outside for short breaks whenever possible.

Monitoring safety alerts during outdoor play

“My older one is a little more independent, so she finishes some of the tasks that I've assigned in her workbook. My help also takes them out for short outdoor breaks whenever possible,” she explained.

Rusu said they are also closely monitoring safety alerts during outdoor play.

“If there are any alert messages, she's been instructed to get them indoors as early as possible and then resume outdoor play once she gets the 'all clear' message,” she explained.

'Evenings', she added, 'are reserved for family time to help the children unwind.'

“In the evenings we sometimes play board games or watch a movie together. The idea is to keep their minds off the news and help them feel that life is still moving in a normal rhythm.”

Sports camps

For others, enrolling children in holiday programmes has helped restore some balance.

Kazakh resident Karina Shashkova, a mother of three living in Dubai Hills, said keeping children indoors for long stretches had been particularly challenging.

“My two boys are starting football camp today. With last week being distance learning and the spring break being brought forward, they were literally dancing on my head,” she said with a laugh.

To give them a chance to burn off energy, the boys have joined the Empire Football Club Spring Camp in Studio City.

“They're joining the Empire Football Club Spring Camp in Studio City. Given the current situation, the organisers have assured us that procedures are in place should shelter be required.”

The camp runs in two sessions - from 9am to 12pm and from 12pm to 3pm - with Shashkova opting for the latter slot.

“It costs Dh180 for a three-hour session. When children are at home, they naturally gravitate towards the iPad, so this is definitely a better option,” she said.“My daughter, who is younger, will be doing some activities at home.”

Setting familiar routines

For Business Bay resident Sumin Sethi, who also needs to go out for her job occasionally, the focus has been on returning to familiar routines as much as possible.

“From this week onwards, my son will resume all his regular classes. He has badminton on Friday, so he'll be restarting that as well,” she said.

While some families are continuing with their daily schedules, Sethi said many residents are also weighing travel plans during the break.

“I'm still contemplating travelling. A lot of people had pre-booked tickets, so many have already gone ahead with their plans,” she said.

At home, her son is also involved in additional activities during the afternoons.

“To keep my son occupied, I've arranged for a guitar teacher to come home, although that was something he was already doing earlier as well. He also attends a few online classes.”

Like many parents, Sethi said she encourages her son to spend time outdoors but with some added precautions.

“Later in the day, he usually goes cycling or meets his friends. I've asked him to be careful and always keep his phone with him,” she said.

“For now, I'm trying not to let him go anywhere too far since he's still young. Everything is largely functioning as normal, but we prefer to stay on the side of caution and avoid going too far alone.”