A (VERY) HONEST TAKE ON
LIVING, WORKING AND PARENTING IN DUBAI
FREE – downloadable family wall planner for 2021

FREE – downloadable family wall planner for 2021

FREE downloadable family wall planner for 2020

FREE downloadable family wall planner for 2020

Your guide to getting a Will

Your guide to getting a Will

Why we need to get real about parenthood

Why we need to get real about parenthood

How should we parent in the digital age?

How should we parent in the digital age?

Nanny or nursery? Finding childcare in Dubai

Nanny or nursery? Finding childcare in Dubai

#InIt… For my family

#InIt… For my family

My little black book: 2018 edition

My little black book: 2018 edition

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Brunch – before and after having a baby

For the uninitiated, brunch in Dubai is unlike brunch anywhere else in the world. Forget Eggs Benedict and a mimosa while watching the world go by in a chic New York neighbourhood, say au revoir to strong coffee and fresh pastries at a Paris cafe, you can even dismiss an English fry up and mug […]


Bringing Barbie back

I was a lucky little girl for many reasons, but the one that meant the most when I was a child was the fact I had three sets of Barbies (and a few Kens) at home, my Grandma’s house and my Nana’s house. My favourite outfit was a flowing coral evening dress made from chiffon […]


Things that made me cry in the first six months of motherhood

It’s a very hormonal time. From early pregnancy to finding my feet as a new mum, emotions have been somewhat shaky (huge, huge understatement) over the last year or so, as my poor husband will testify. I could probably cry now, if you asked me nicely. This is not a complete list: Sheer exhaustion. Frustration at […]


Five signs you need a Dubai detox

I don’t know about you, but every two months or so I have what I call ‘a Dubai wobble’. Much like when I need my hair cut and decide one morning that I must have my fringe chopped IMMEDIATELY, the Dubai wobble sneaks up on you, then suddenly you realise you gotta get out of […]


How Oprah saved my sanity

Before our daughter was born I hadn’t been around babies much. This was a major worry for me. Many of my friends have big families with yards of cousins, nieces and nephews, but we’re a smaller clan. And while friends at home have started breeding, they’re thousands of miles away. I was, in short, clueless. We […]


The truth about clothes shopping after having a baby

As soon as I had a definite ‘baby bump’ (instead of looking like I’d had a week-long date with a baguette) I embraced cotton jersey and Lycra with glee abandon. Leggings, stretchy maxi dresses and, umm, ‘formal’ leggings were in – structure was out. In short, if it wasn’t the kind of clothing you’d don […]


Your weekend must-do

Weekends have changed since having a baby. That’s no secret, but there are some upsides, namely: No hangovers No expensive brunches That’s it really. We tried the new Mini Monsters in the DNATA building on Sheikh Zayed Road a few weeks ago, (confession: we’ve been back every weekend since) and the sprog LOVED IT. There’s a […]


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Follow my blog with Bloglovin Hello, World!   Hello all, if you use Bloglovin’ – and you should – give the above a click so you can get updates easily.  That’s all, folks! h


Giving away my secrets (part one)

Until recently I was in a permanent state of disgust over a) the price of greetings cards here and b) the quality of greetings cards here. It’s pretty tiring being in a permanent state of disgust. Then Typo opened at BOXPARK. This Aussie stationery/gift/homewares shop didn’t open with much fanfare but hardcore lovers of all […]


A note on dogs and babies

We adopted Lizzy, our beautiful old lady cocker spaniel, around two and a half years ago, adding Jarvis to the brood a few months later. In truth, they were great practice for having a child, with poo, bills and responsibility, and I saw a new side to my husband, as he lay on the floor […]

ABOUT ME

 

I’m Helen Farmer, an editor and journalist, mum to 4-year-old Phoebe and 2-year-old Tabitha, wife to Nick and a mummy blogger in Dubai (even though I don’t really identify as one, but I blog, and I’m a mum, so there you go). I’ve been living in the Middle East for the last 10 years, working in books, magazines and broadcasting, shedding some light on the good and bad of life, work and motherhood in the UAE.

ABOUT THE BLOG

The Mothership is for you if you’re a busy, active mum who can’t stand small talk, bad info and twee blogs that make out that mothering is all unicorns and rose petals, instead of admitting that you can love your child so much it terrifies you – while still wanting a night in alone watching The Great British Bake Off with a double G&T or a night out pretending you don’t have children.

 

Time Out Dubai Kids Awards 2016 - Winner - Parent Blog of 2016

 

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