Struggling with parenting stress? These UAE support groups offer help and guidance

For many mums and dads in the UAE, parenting right now feels like a constant juggle of work, news alerts, academic pressure and family responsibilities. And doing it solo or without the necessary support system, the “village”, can feel even more nerve-wracking.

"When parents are stressed and routines are disrupted, everyone in the house will be affected," says UAE-based clinical psychologist Dr Saliha Afridi. "Children display all sorts of symptoms ranging from behavioural to emotional and academic difficulties."

Some children can become more withdrawn while others become more clingy, she adds. "Some will oscillate between extreme moods because they are picking up on the stress in their home."

As a result, to help parents navigate these challenges, therapists, community organisers and parents across the country are creating support groups where caregivers can pause, exchange notes and pick up practical tools for raising children in uncertain times.

"Most important thing for a parent to know is that their emotional regulation is the intervention. So, them taking care of themselves, being steady and rested, will reverberate through the house," says Dr Afridi.

Here are some parenting support groups in the UAE families can turn to for guidance:

Lighthouse Arabia: Free parenting support

Dubai‑based mental health centre The Lighthouse Arabia is hosting a series of free online support groups and community webinars until April 18, covering themes that sit right at the heart of family life: health, parenting, grief and loss. 

These are facilitated by mental health professionals and are designed to be accessible from home, which makes it easier for parents to attend between school sessions, work calls and bedtime routines. 

Because the sessions are free, many families who might not otherwise access mental‑health support can also try group support first as a gentle entry point.

"While some communities in the UAE are increasingly open to seeking support, others remain less engaged," says Dr Afridi. "This highlights the need for more targeted outreach to raise awareness, reduce stigma and improve access to care for children and families across all communities."

In addition to the free group sessions, they have their usual parenting‑related support group, called Conscious Parenting circle, where caregivers of children aged six to eleven discuss everyday stressors, such as friendship issues, screen time and homework battles.

Parents can sign up via lighthousearabia.com/events.

'Rooted in Resilience': A community circle for parents

Another emerging space for overwhelmed parents is Rooted in Resilience, a free online parenting community created by UAE‑registered company Soulful Sprouts.

Soulful Sprouts, as psychologist and facilitator Nusrat Khan tells Khaleej Times, “creates space for meaningful conversations for parents, so they can navigate difficult conversations at home.”

Each session is open to any parent. They can register, log in on a Thursday evening and find themselves in a Zoom room with other caregivers carrying similar worries. “The psychologist is there to contain the chaos,” she explains, “to maintain the safety of the group and to ensure that everyone is being heard.’”

Rather than telling parents what they “should” be doing, the circle focuses on self‑compassion and nervous‑system regulation, on the understanding that a regulated parent is one of the most protective factors a child can have.

“It’s as much about tending to the caregiver as it is about “fixing” any parenting problem," says Khan, adding that the sessions usually begin with somatic exercises for parents to support the nervous system. 

The next session will take place on April 16. You can reach out to them via Instagram DM (@thesoulfulsprouts).

Raising Hearts

Another grassroots space that has become a lifeline for many families is Raising Hearts, a parenting community founded by Dubai‑based parenting coach Kavita Srinivasan. 

Raising Hearts is open to parents of children of all ages, because “parenting is a lifetime of work, it doesn’t end when your child reaches a certain age,” says Srinivasan.

Day to day, the community dives into real‑life dilemmas: alternative education and health, single parenting, the role of fathers, how to respond to big feelings and more. “Helping parents with the trials and tribulations of parenting and how to give our children what they need developmentally is at the core of the goings‑on in the group,” she adds.

At a time when many caregivers feel they are juggling multiple tasks, the community emphasises both emotional and practical backup. “We are here to empathise, to help with solutions and to give advice as and when needed,” Srinivasan explains. “But the greater intention is to also offer each other physical support.”

To find out more, you can connect with Kavita on Instagram: @conscious.parent or visit: www.raising-hearts.com  

Screen‑free parenting: UAE support group 

Increasingly, parents themselves are creating the communities they wish they had. One such initiative is Dubai’s Screen-Free Parenting Community, founded by Dubai mum Adveta Dwivedi, which encourages raising children in a more screen-conscious way.

The group brings together more than 150 active mothers, with a wider online reach of around 15,000 parents on Instagram, all united by a desire to raise children in a more screen‑conscious way.

Within the community, parents swap practical ideas: simple screen‑free activities, how to approach online learning without burning out, what’s age‑appropriate and how to structure the day so that children are not indoors and on screens for hours on end. 

“One mother, for instance, was guided to reduce pressure around finishing every online assignment,” recalls Dwivedi. “She could revisit recorded lessons later at the child’s pace, schedule breaks and prioritise morning outdoor time.” The shift left both parent and child noticeably calmer, more refreshed and far less overwhelmed.

Interested parents usually find the group through Instagram: @screenfreekids_dubai.

SFS: For families of People of Determination

For families with children and adults with special needs, the emotional load often includes medical appointments, school advocacy and social isolation and that’s exactly where parenting communities, such as SFS comes in. 

Created specifically for families of People of Determination, SFS gives caregivers a space where their day-to-day reality is the norm, not the exception.

Run by parents, SFS meetings tend to mix practical information (from therapies and school options to paperwork) offering a roadmap for members to help shape a more inclusive community culture.

You can reach out to them via Instagram on @sfs.special.families.support.

Other established parenting support spaces

Alongside these newer circles, some other established organisations also continue to anchor the support‑group landscape for parents.

Love Parenting UAE is one such Dubai‑based platform that has been around for over a decade, runs online and in‑person groups. Its Facebook communities connect several mums around topics such as pregnancy, babywearing and postnatal mental health. Occasional workshops and meet‑ups are also organised by the group.

Thrive Wellbeing Centre, a psychology clinic in Dubai, offers structured parenting consultations and small groups for caregivers who want more tailored guidance. Sessions cover everything from emotional regulation and sibling rivalry to co‑parenting after separation, using evidence‑based child‑psychology tools.

More information can be found on their Instagram (@thrivewellbeingcentre) or website.