Raising 4 kids in Dubai - Find out what it's really like.

[@charmainegray1333]

Hi - I’m black British and have lived in the UAE for 20 years. I had a colleague who was convinced I was from the US ….. ! My kids went to school in Abu Dhabi for many years and they had friends from all over the world. They always said they were from the UK and it was accepted. That was 10 years ago and there was less diversity in the schools here. You are raising your girls correctly and let them correct anyone who challenges them as to where they are from. It’s really nice to see black British bloggers with a channel from the UAE. Keep up the good work!! I wish I had had access to that information 20 years ago 😀

[@themonagofamily]

Thanks for sharing your story. Really encouraging to us and to others reading as you have been in the UAE for 20 years. We can definately appreciate that things will have changed a lot over 2 decades. Thanks for the love and appreciation and welcome to the family. ❤️

[@Yourbint]

I'm Somali British and was raised in the UAE. The culture there attributes your heritage more than where you are born. So when asked where I am from, I would say I'm Somali but born in the UK. They prioritize your bloodline first and then consider where you were born as a secondary factor. Therefore, if you ask a local there, they would tell you they are 'Yemeni' if they are from Yemen but born in the UAE.

[@themonagofamily]

Ah this is interesting, thanks for sharing this. 😊

[@ThePontesFamily]

Keep up the great work family!

[@themonagofamily]

🙌🏾❤️

[@kathyosu415]

Thanks for sharing your story.❤

[@themonagofamily]

❤️❤️

[@josephinemosheshe8511]

Great ❤

[@themonagofamily]

Thanks ❤️

[@breadbreaker500]

Me and my wife are UK born. I’m of black Nigerian descent (and dark skinned), my wife is a Creole Mauritian (mixed looking, light skinned) - both her parents also from the Creole community. We both identify as British African, and my wife, whilst mixed heritage identifies as black (in Mauritian context with a majority Indian population, Creoles of varying complexions are viewed as ‘the Africans’). She’s never felt like ‘mixed race’ as written on the census relates to her heritage and upbringing, and point blank refuses to say she’s ‘other’. Certain people may not view her as ‘black’, but within a Mauritian context, where many of her family are dark skinned black, she’s one of them (a Creole). That distinction is quite clear over there, alongside Indian, Chinese and white (mostly Franco) communities. Our children, light skinned are told by us that they’re black Africans. As they get older, we’ll later the British bit in more detail (my oldest is 4), and but for now, it’s keeping the narrative simple to why her and her household have brown skin.

[@themonagofamily]

Thanks for sharing this. Very interesting to hear how you are all perceived based on where you’re from and how you see yourselves. It seems from the comments that there are differences around the world in terms of perception. Interesting to hear how you are navigating it with your kids, understand the need to simplify when they are younger. 😊

[@workhardplayhard3192]

My wife and i were born in africa and were raised in the uk both from the age of 3. Our parents were all born in africa also. I am of black African,indian,arab decent and my wife is majority arab but has some black african in her. Though her father is dark skinned and she looks just like him she took her mothers skin tone. I am darker skinned but non african facial features, my wife just looks completely arab. someone asks where am i from ill say the country i was born in but if asked about my ethnicity ill say im mix race. Growing up i was black african until i started college and the west african students will tell me am not black african, or when i went back to africa for the first time, the country i was born in and be told i am a foreigner. So even though i have lived 30years of my life in the uk i still see my self as a forienger and in my birth country i am seen as a forienger. Now, my daughter has been having the same problems in secondary school. Trying to find her identity. Lol. She looks asian or mixed, but she identifies as black african and wears the flag braclet 😂. Lets just say she is not accepted by her black african/Caribbean peers and has not been given the black card. I can imagine her in school there in dubai if asked the same question. She will say shes black african born in the uk and they will laugh. If she says shes arab they will accept that but she cant speak arabic 😂.

[@themonagofamily]

Woah this one is complex to address. 😅

[@kamalhassan3991]

I’m a Black/African American living in Bahrain for over 15yrs. My son attends a British curriculum school (the oldest one on the Island). When he’s asked where he’s from he’s says he’s from Bahrain😊 My son was born in Bahrain. His mother an I made a conscious decision to send out to a private Arabic/English Montessori preschool until he finished at KG2. Later went to private British Curriculum ‘local’ school. By local school I mean it primarily attended by Bahrainis with a hand full of expats. Our son excelled there and he speak fluent Arabic.

[@themonagofamily]

Thanks for sharing your journey and story, very encouraging. Great to hear how well your son has done and wishing you continued blessings. ❤️

[@Holaman123]

Children can make mistakes due to their lack of knowledge, naivety , or immaturity, but I think what's really important is how their teachers and parents deal with them when such things happen. By the way, we are moving to Arabian Ranches 3 this summer, and our child will be attending Repton Dubai. I hope your former school is not Repton?

[@themonagofamily]

Yes, agreed. No their old school isn’t Repton. Congratulations on making the move and I hope they get settled in smoothly. 😊

[@thehomelylife]

I was born in the UK but my heritage is Pakistani. I would usually say that my ethnicity is Pakistani but I was born in the UK. The UK is home to me whereas Pakistan is not so I can relate more to the UK than anywhere else.

[@themonagofamily]

We can understand this. Thanks for sharing. 😊

[@voyageursdubai9501]

Hey Family, i really like your content. You have an amazing family and thank you for all these information. Next year, i will be relocating to Dubai with my family. One question i have always asked myself is where to get all the necessary informations for a black family. For instance, i was looking on internet for a school where my daughter will not be the only black kids, cause i know it can be stressful as kids can be mean sometimes when they see difference. So, i will like to suggest you to create an E-book or website, or mentoring for BLACK families moving to Dubai, I am sorry to say that, but if people don't see colors in uk or US, they definitely do in the middle east : The black American kid will always be associated with the black African kid even though they are from different cultures.

[@ahmedsaliu933]

I would always say your parents heritage are were you are from. Both, the world is now a global village so you can identify from the country you were born.

[@themonagofamily]

This is a really good way of looking at it. Thanks for sharing your view on this. 😊

[@beautygeek786]

The thing in the UK, is that now it is considered rude to ask someone where they are from, even when people don't have a British accent. Not saying people still don't ask that question but there is more awareness around it. I can imagine this not being the case in Dubai because everyone is from somewhere. Plus not everyone has been to England so they might only imagine the country being white (which is ignorant of course but also up until recently the media/tv shows etc were primarily white washed). We are Pakistanis and my husband and I are immigrants (although I was born here but don't identify as British). Our kids were born here so I know when we move to Dubai they are probably gonna get these questions even more 😂 Your girls are lovely MashaAllah and they are smart and intelligent and immensely talented. Sometimes clasamates/peers can also get jealous and ask questions to annoy them on purpose. I am glad they have found the strength to not pay a lot of heed.

[@themonagofamily]

Thanks for sharing and thanks for the lovely comments. ❤️

[@brunoferreira.tech_]

Which community you live or can recommend for a family with 3 kids?

[@themonagofamily]

Hi, there are lots. If you watch our other vlogs we talk about communities and also the one we live in.

[@voyageursdubai9501]

😅Hey Family, i really like your content. You have an amazing family and thank you for all these information. Next year, i will be relocating to Dubai with my family. One question i have always asked myself is where to get all the necessary informations for a black family. For instance, i was looking on internet for a school where my daughter will not be the only black kids, cause i know it can be stressful as kids can be mean sometimes when they see difference. So, i will like to suggest you to create an E-book or website, or mentoring for BLACK families moving to Dubai, I am sorry to say that, but if people don't see colors in uk or US, they definitely do in the middle east : The black American kid will always be associated with the black African kid even though they are from different cultures.