Moving to Dubai or Abu Dhabi with children, what the first few months of school can look like

The UAE has one of the largest and most established international school systems anywhere, which can be reassuring for parents moving with children, and often means a child is joining a school with plenty of other children who've done this before.

One pattern Ruby sometimes sees in the first term is that children often manage the practical side of the move better than parents expect, settling into a new uniform, a new building, and new routines, while the social side can take longer. Friendship groups in Dubai and Abu Dhabi's international schools are often shaped by how long families tend to stay, and a child arriving mid-year may find existing groups already formed. Climate and daily rhythm can also shift more than families expect, since school timings, weekend structure and time spent indoors during hotter months may all change a child's routine.

A few things generally seem to help in the first few months.

• Keeping expectations realistic, since settling in properly is often a term's work, not a fortnight's
• Staying closely tuned in to how your child describes school socially, not just academically
• Considering outside support earlier rather than later if things aren't easing