UAE Schools Reopen: How Children Can Socially Readjust To In-Person Learning

From April 20, students across the UAE are back in classrooms after weeks of distance learning, as the Ministry of Education confirms a return to in-person schooling. While safety protocols and logistics have been carefully planned, the questions for many families also lean towards the emotional impact of being back to school: how will children reconnect with friends, rebuild social confidence and feel like they belong again in changed school environments?

Experts say the academic catch-up will come in time, but what needs closer attention now are the social and emotional adjustments children require in classrooms and, just as importantly, in bedtime conversations at home. A Dubai parent, a psychologist and a parenting coach share how adults can support children as they find their social footing again on returning to in-person learning.

For Dubai mum Mariana Missakian, whose 12-year-old son is in Year 8 at a British school, the response to going back to school was met with mixed emotions.“He was not happy,” she says.“He got used to the slow rhythm of the day, the late start, the late nights, the comfort of home and the pace of online learning.” The resistance, interestingly, was not about peers or teachers, but about leaving a cocooned routine he had grown to enjoy.

That mix of children being eager to see friends but reluctant to leave the comfort of home is one many parents will recognise. So, to help him ease back into the social rhythm of school, Missakian focused on having a preparation plan in place.

“Over the weekend we prepared the school bag and electronics, got the uniforms ready, went to shop for school snacks and went to bed early," she adds. "These are just small things to get the body and the mind to adjust to the new rhythm and routine."

She also believes the first few weeks back should be treated as a transition period, especially on the social front.“The focus during this time should not be on study load and academics,” she says.“Take it easy, let the children express themselves through art, words and creative work, so they can acknowledge what just happened and not lock it in and away.”

Clinical and educational psychologist Aakriti Mahindra, from Neuropedia, children's neuroscience centre in Dubai, is seeing another side of the story in her clinic. It's not loud meltdowns that concern her, but what she calls“emotional compression”.“What stands out to me most is how silently children carry stress,” she says.

During weeks of disrupted schooling, children have absorbed adult tension at home.“Seeing parents worry about the news, the unpredictability of the future, all while losing one of their main social outlets: everyday school life, can be emotionally taxing,” says Mahindra, pointing to how going to school is not just about academics.

"It's also where children learn how to manage differences, feel that they belong and grow outside the family. When that is taken away, it does more than affect learning. It can interrupt social development," she adds.

As children return to classrooms, she urges parents and teachers to pay close attention to shifts in behaviour rather than obvious breakdowns.“A child who used to be sociable may suddenly start avoiding plans. A teenager might sleep more, seem emotionally withdrawn or retreat behind screens," she adds.

Younger children, on the other hand, might go back to patterns they had outgrown. "Behaviours such as thumb-sucking or becoming unusually clingy can be a sign that they are feeling overwhelmed.”

Physical complaints can be part of the picture too, says Mahindra. Repeated headaches or stomachaches without a clear medical reason, especially on school mornings, can signal social or emotional strain rather than illness.

“Parents may notice that a child who used to talk openly now gives only one-word answers or becomes more irritable than usual,” she adds. For teenagers, she flags“social withdrawal along with increased screen time and a loss of interest in things they once enjoyed” as important signs to notice.

Social readjustment is not one-size-fits-all. Mahindra breaks it down by age group, noting that the tasks - and the adult response - need to be age-sensitive.

For younger children between three and seven, basic social skills are still being built.“They are still learning how to share, take turns, read facial expressions and join group play,” she explains. After a long disruption, these skills may simply not have had enough practice.

As a result, their response can look like misbehaviour: grabbing toys, crying easily, refusing to join in.“What may seem like bad behaviour is often a really a sign that their social skills need more support and guidance.” What helps most, she adds, are patient, low-pressure opportunities to interact and lots of coaching and modelling from adults.

Primary school children, roughly eight to twelve, are more likely to struggle with the social politics of returning.“Friendship groups may have changed, new patterns may have formed and the child returning to school may feel unsure of where they fit in,” she says.

At this age, structured support is key. Adults can help by arranging playdates or small group activities, checking in about friendship dynamics and liaising with teachers if a child is feeling left out.

Teenagers, she says, face a different kind of challenge. "For them, peer connection and belonging become especially important," she notes. Many have grown more comfortable with online socialising, where interactions can feel more“in control”.“Returning to the more complex and unpredictable social world of school can feel quite overwhelming."

Adults need to be careful not to dismiss reluctance to attend school as laziness or screen addiction. Often, it is about uncertainty over where they now fit in.

So how can adults help children feel socially grounded again? For Mahindra, one of the strongest anchors is predictability.“Consistent schedules, clear expectations and adults who are reliable help children feel secure again,” she adds. That sense of security frees up emotional energy for peer relationships and learning.

She also emphasises“co-regulation before self-regulation”. In other words, children learn to calm themselves through calm adults.“We often expect children to calm themselves down, but they learn to do that through calm adults first,” she explains.

A steady, grounded parent or teacher who stays present during a child's distress“can make a real difference. When an adult stays calm and present during a child's distress, it helps the child feel calmer too.”

Expression is the third pillar.“Children who can talk, draw, play or tell stories about what they've been through tend to cope better than those who keep it all inside,” Mahindra adds. That could look like a child drawing their classroom, using dolls to act out a school day or simply venting about lunch break.

Parenting coach Kavita Srinivasan, a conscious parenting expert based in the UAE, is hearing a recurring theme from families she works with: children are desperate to see their friends, but the school environment they're returning to doesn't look exactly like the one they left.

“The greatest challenge children are going to face is the changed environment because they're not really going to be able to do what they did before,” she says. With new safety norms and restricted spaces in some settings, children may need time to adjust to different break times, movement rules or play zones.

On top of that, children have picked up habits from online learning.“With remote learning, they turned off their camera and didn't have to be fully present. So, getting back to focus is going to be another challenge, but eventually it will happen.” The good news, she adds, is that“the joy is to be with their friends and to have human connection. I think children are most excited about that.”

Her main plea to parents, however, is not to slam children back into a rigid routine overnight.“I am a big believer in not getting back to routine immediately,” she says.“To go from this sort of slowdown to suddenly getting back into a full-on school day, waking up, rushing... these sorts of things are very jarring to the nervous system.”

Where families have the flexibility, she suggests a phased return, speaking to teachers about the possibility of slightly later starts in the first days, or shorter days if a child is exhausted.

Socially, she also encourages parents to pay attention to one crucial factor: friends. Many children, she says, are worried that their“comfort person” may not be back yet.“A lot of children are worried that their friends might not be back yet and will they be lonely? Will they have someone to sit with during lunch?” Her practical suggestion here is to reach out to other parents, find out who is returning when and if possible,“try to time their return with their friends so they have each other as they start again.”

When it comes to helping children talk about their social world, Srinivasan adds,“Bedtime is an amazing time to have conversations. But don't interrogate, instead, model vulnerability. Tell them about your day and then don't push them to answer. They'll slowly open up when you create the space and time and if they don't feel attacked.”

Whether it's through silent car rides, bursts of playground politics or bedtime worries, the return to in-person school is equally shaped by how children feel through it, rather than just the academic catch-up.

So, for now, the work for parents is to help children find their place again in a changing social environment, knowing they don't have to navigate it alone.“Children watch us more than they listen to us,” says Mahindra. If adults say“everything is fine” but communicate panic through their tone or behaviour, children will absorb the anxiety more than the words.

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