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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Book vs real life: 34 weeks pregnant

    Let’s start with some context: I’ve just eaten a Mini Cheddar sandwich, followed by a lemon curd yogurt, that’s more of a dessert than breakfast item. This should give you a pretty good idea of my mental state at 34 weeks pregnant.   The baby now has hiccups. Her head is VERY low. This […]


Website of the month: Kidore for the best bargains

    Hands up anyone who has spent countless hours mall trawling, with kids who don’t want to be there? How about those of you who are always on the look out for good value? And what about the people who are running low on inspiration when it comes to birthday presents and activities for […]


  • mothership dubai 33 weeks pregnant selfish mother

Book vs real life: 33 weeks pregnant

    After my doctor’s revelation at last week’s scan (read it here) I’ve had the words ‘very big baby’ haunting every waking moment. And a few dreams too. Thanks to everyone in the Facebook group who was so encouraging with their stories about inaccurate measurements – the reassurances were much-needed!   This week has […]


  • tired parents mothership competition dubai

Win! A hotel stay, spa visit and even babysitting with Premier Inn

  We’re looking for the UAE’s most deserving – and sleep deprived – parents. Is this you? Do you dream of a good night’s sleep, and waking up when you’ve had enough rest NOT when your children dictate? I feel your pain! But you could win a prize for those dark circles and constant yawns… […]


  • mothership podcast dubai mums

Listen here – The Mothership on The Learning Curve podcast

  As a journalist I’m used to asking the questions, being the one who knows where an interview is going, so being a guest on Nicholla Henderson-Hall’s podcast, The Learning Curve, was a refreshing change, if a bit scary!   Nicholla’s series of podcasts focus on female entrepreneurs across the Middle East, with her 104 (and […]


Toddler-friendly recipe: sweet potato laksa

    Just yesterday, as I’m thinking ahead to the week’s eating (my favourite topic) and rolling my eyes at serving spag bol AGAIN, Lyndsay from I Eat My Peas sends over this recipe for family-friendly laksa. Hurrah! We made it last night – for all three of us – and it’s super-easy, and really tasty. […]


  • babymoon mothership dubai mummy blogger travel RAK

In praise of the babymoon

    While I fear babymoons (definition: the short break an expectant couple takes before the birth of a child, who will later rob them of lie-ins and dinners after 7pm) are something of a new-fangled fad, there’s no denying the appeal.   With my first pregnancy we combined honeymoon and babymoon (long story, but […]


Book vs real life: 32 weeks pregnant

    I’ve hit a wall of exhaustion. And am the size of a house/back of a bus/woman who’s 32 weeks pregnant and wasn’t petite to begin with. I actually don’t FEEL that big, then get a shock when I see myself in profile, or in a photo.     Gulp.   Helpfully (ahem) my husband […]


  • weaning nutella mothership dubai recipe

Recipe of the week: toddler-friendly ‘Nutella’

  Forget the new diet – and make Nutella instead! This week’s recipe from chef and mum of two Lyndsay from I Eat My Peas is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. She says… “Nutella disappears in the blink of an eye in our household, so I now make this mixed nut version that makes us feel a little better […]


FREE downloadable 2017 family wall planner!

  Confession time: I mock my husband A LOT for his planning. He’s the king of Excel, with our holidays, family meet-ups and more, all plotted out in colour-coded glory. But guess what? It works. So that shuts me up. Last year he created a huge (A0) wall planner for our kitchen, and it helped […]

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

 

TOP POSTS

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FREE – downloadable family wall planner for 2021

  It's the start of a brand new year. What does it hold? Nobody knows. Probably some Zoom meetings and home
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2020 WALLPLANNER MOTHERSHIP

FREE downloadable family wall planner for 2020

  I mock my husband A LOT for his planning. He’s the king of Excel, with our holidays, family meet-ups and
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Your guide to getting a Will

    So you have kids, and maybe some property or savings, and you feel like a grown-up. Is that enough? A
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Why we need to get real about parenthood

  I’ve just spent the last hour patting my daughter’s back so she’ll fall asleep. Her eyes will close, and I
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How should we parent in the digital age?

  A survey by Norton has revealed that children in the UAE are among the youngest in the world to receive
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Nanny or nursery? Finding childcare in Dubai

      With many Dubai households having two people that contribute financially, finding a childcare solution that works for the family is
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#InIt… For my family

  “The obligation for working mothers is a very precise one: the feeling that one ought to work as if one
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My little black book: 2018 edition

    I first wrote down my recommendations for everything from handymen to hairdressers more than two years ago. Times changes, people
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