The unexpected shift forced working parents to rearrange their schedules rapidly, aiming to maintain stability for their kids.
Across the UAE, parents are finding creative ways to keep their children engaged at home after schools brought forward the spring break, even as many workplaces ask employees to return to the office.
The sudden overlap has left families balancing childcare, work commitments, and the challenge of keeping young children occupied throughout the day. For working parents especially, the unexpected change required rapidly adjusting routines while striving to maintain a sense of normalcy for their children.
Parents back in the office, kids at home: UAE families adapt to early spring break
Regional tensions have remained high since Saturday, February 28, prompting authorities and schools to bring forward the holiday schedule as a precaution following incidents of falling debris.
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 introduced a simple structure at home to keep her children engaged. “In the mornings, they spend some time reading, and later they do a bit of arts and crafts, which my housemaid helps them with, since my children are four and nine,” she explained. Her older child is able to work more independently, completing tasks from a workbook, while the housemaid takes the children outside for short breaks whenever possible.
Rusu said they closely monitor 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 said. “Evenings are reserved for family time to help the children unwind. 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 offer balance
For other families, enrolling children in holiday programmes has helped restore some routine. 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 help her boys burn off energy, Shashkova enrolled them in 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,” she said.
The camp runs in two sessions — from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. — 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 added. “My daughter, who is younger, will be doing some activities at home.”
Setting familiar routines
For Business Bay resident Sumin Sethi, who occasionally needs to go out for work, the focus has been on maintaining 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 sticking to their daily routines, Sethi noted that 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 engaged 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,” she explained.
Like many parents, Sethi encourages her son to spend time outdoors, but with 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.”
