When we moved recently, while I was concerned with things like storage space, parking and where we'd put the dining-room table, my three-year-old wanted to know two things: would we take all of her toys with us? And would her friends be able to find us?
Family: The National cares
Last Updated: 21 June, 2011 UAE
Advice, activities and all things family related.
Family
Whether it's a move down the road, across the city, or to a new country, children need to have everything explained to them in detail.
"For a child, much of the stress associated with moving relates to dealing with the unknown. Given this, it's important that you talk to your children about the move. Share the details that you think they can understand. Encourage their questions and listen to what they have to say," says Dr Joseph Keegan, an American clinical psychologist.
Children under the age of six are often the easiest to take overseas. Two years ago Jennifer Rigby moved from England to Singapore. "As Dexter was only two years old at the time, we just hyped up all the good things - the fact that we were going on an aeroplane, there would be great weather and a swimming pool," Rigby says. "We didn't say too much about the friends and family we were leaving behind. Fortunately, Dexter adapted really quickly and now thinks of Singapore as home."
School-aged children tend to be more concerned about friendships, so it helps if you can find out about local clubs before you move so they know there will be opportunities to make new friends. When it comes to teenagers, it's not unusual to face some degree of rebellion. It's important to let your teenager know that you want to hear their concerns and that you respect them.
Saying a proper goodbye will help ease the transition process - ask your child if they'd like a farewell party or a sleepover. "I've worked with children who've moved away from a special friend without having the chance to say a proper goodbye and they're still mourning the loss years later," says Gaynor Sbuttoni, an educational psychologist who works with children moving abroad.
It's important to get the balance right between looking backwards and looking forwards. Talk about how the change in climate might affect your daily routine. If the country you are relocating to speaks a different language it's a good idea to teach your children a few words before you go. By doing so you will generate positive reactions from local people and give your child a sense of achievement in their new home.
Once you've made the move, it's time to help your children adapt to their new surroundings. "Communication is one of the most critical components to ensuring a smooth transition," says the child psychologist Kate Berger, who is based in the Netherlands. "The simple act of acknowledging and validating a child's struggle can go a long way towards helping an expatriate kid who feels lonely."
The transition can be eased by helping your child keep in touch with home. Set them up with an online account to chat with friends and direct them to online communities that offer peer-to-peer support, such as TCkid.com.
If you're a parent to small children it's a good idea to arrange play dates. Lara De Miranda, from Macedonia, is mum to Adrian, two, and has been living in Abu Dhabi for the past eight months. "I try to organise get-togethers for mums, mums-to-be and expat ladies so I can meet new people and provide an opportunity for our children to socialise," she says. De Miranda is in the process of adjusting to a new country and is considering going to Europe for the summer, to avoid Abu Dhabi's blistering heat. Websites such as abudhabimums.ae and www.expatwoman.com can help mums feel at home and provide a forum to discuss the challenges of living in a new country.
Even if you immerse yourself in an expat community, you will still be confronted by cultural differences on a daily basis. Sbuttoni suggests you talk about these differences with your children and acknowledge that it isn't always easy to know the best way to behave and that it can be hard for children to fit into a culture they don't yet understand.
Although a move can be stressful, most children adjust well in a short period of time. "Don't overlook some of the warning signs that may indicate a child is having difficulty adjusting," says Keegan. "If a child has difficulty sleeping, has outbursts of anger or avoids making new friends, it may be useful to seek the advice of a paediatrician."
When it comes to repatriation there can still be an element of culture shock, particularly for children who have been born overseas. The more time you spend discussing the move home with your children and mentally preparing them for the lifestyle changes, the better. "Children get used to things such as sunshine and staff, and it can be a shock when they get home," says Sbuttoni. "Tell your child that you know it will be hard but that you'll manage. Perhaps you can tackle the chores together and make it a fun experience. Try focusing on the positives of the move, such as being able to see grandparents regularly."
Sharon Blyth, from the UK, mum to twins Rosie and Zachary, eight, Amelia, five, and Hermione, two, spent six years in the US. "We visited the UK a few times before we moved back so our children were familiar with it and got to know some of our friends," says Blyth. "We built up the excitement and tried to hide the stresses of the move." Blyth recognised that saying goodbye is just as important on the way home as on the way out. "We made sure we had farewell parties and special play-dates," she says. Adjusting to a new school system can seem like a daunting prospect to parents as well as children, so Blyth decided to volunteer on the parent board so she could get to know the teachers and find out how the school worked.
Whether you've just moved, or are planning one, you might be concerned about the effect it will have on your children. Don't forget, though, that the experience of living abroad can be hugely beneficial to children. It can help them increase in confidence, become more adaptable and give them a greater ability to cope with change. "Children who have grown up in an expatriate environment often possess additional language and enhanced interpersonal communication skills," says Berger. With such special qualities, expat kids could be the kids of the future.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How Beautiful this world is!
The%20Roundup%20%3A%20No%20Way%20Out
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lee%20Sang-yong%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Don%20Lee%2C%20Lee%20Jun-hyuk%2C%20Munetaka%20Aoki%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
UAE SQUAD
Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20Z%20FOLD5
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MO
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Qosty Byogaani
Starring: Hani Razmzi, Maya Nasir and Hassan Hosny
Four stars
'The Batman'
Stars:Robert Pattinson
Director:Matt Reeves
Rating: 5/5
CONCRETE COWBOY
Directed by: Ricky Staub
Starring: Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin, Jharrel Jerome
3.5/5 stars
