For over 40 days, talks about conflict punctuated daily life. Phones sent warnings at different times of the day and night, and most tried to adjust to a 'new normal' that slowly seeped into their routines.While adults searched for ways to get through each day, they also had to find ways to calm their children.Children, as it is, absorb tension from all around them, even if they cannot fully understand the geopolitics behind it. They don’t need to, the expressions on their parents’ faces often say enough.How war anxiety disrupts your sleep: UAE doctors share steps to calm your brain at nightHowever, parents are made of a different mettle.

While comforting their children in the best way that they could, they also found different options to keep them a little busy and tire them out, so that they wouldn't have to constantly worry about the conflict.For instance, 37-year-old Dubai-based Irfan Haider, a Pakistani expat, decided to enrol his children for swimming classes, in the Star Academy right next door. “It definitely tired them out, and they get to use all their extra energy,” he notes.As John Coulter, the founder along with Andrew Dixon of The Football Clinic, says: "We started offering free sessions, in different community locations like Mirdif and Dubai South.

And as it progressed, it transitioned to pay as you play to the situation continued..."A little football fun and structure Football, for sure, can never let your child down. For Dubai-based Nicola Craddock, a mother of two, community support has made a noticeable difference. Living in Emaar South, she says, the Football Clinic has opened up sessions for children in the neighbourhood, offering a much-needed release.

“A local PE teacher is running weekly sessions in our community park for children too,” she adds.And that’s where Dubai-based John Coulter and Andrew Dixon come in, through the academy they run, which is The Football Clinic. They quickly realised that, amid the war, children’s routines had been disrupted. There was growing social anxiety, and many children were visibly unsettled.

As Coulter explains, “We started offering free sessions, in different community locations like Mirdif and Dubai South. And as it progressed, it transitioned to pay as you play to the situation continued, which allowed a certain flexibility to the players who were already committed elsewhere,” he says. So the main focus was maintaining a structure and routine, so it could be a positive environment where children can learn, socialise and play football.

Moreover as he notes, “It gave the parents a break and respite, between balancing working and daily life too,” he says. And now, Coulter and Dixon are also launching a four-week well-being session, which will start this weekend for the next four weekends, where they will have workshops on strength and nutrition for children aged eight and above.There’s also the promise of soft indoor play for around two hours, where younger players can socialise, and just have fun. Finally, there is a footgolf event for players and parents to complete, which works as a strong bonding exercise too.Another photo from The Football Clinic, as shared by Coulter and Dixon.

While football and swimming remain popular choices, some families are exploring alternatives that offer a different kind of physical engagement. At Parkour DXB, structured parkour classes for children aged three to 17 focus on movement, coordination and confidence-building, while giving children another way to stay active and interact with their peers.Tapping into the creative side Interactive books to keep children busy. Apart from keeping their children physically active, families like Haider’s also looked for alternatives such as sand art and interactive books with felt flaps.

“They really love it,” Haider says. For parents, such options offer a way to hold a child’s attention for longer stretches at home.Publishers such as Nosy Crow have increasingly focused on books that mix storytelling with play. The publisher tells us that the titles, itself, are designed to engage young readers while supporting early development, including motor skills and vocabulary.

Its Stories Aloud audiobooks, for instance, incorporate music and sound cues to help children follow along independently.And if you have a book like Bizzy Bear and the Suzy Cat, you know your child will be curious, at the very least. Many of the board books feature elements such as sliders or tracks that children can move across the page, often linked to simple tasks within the story. Pages also include prompts and objects to spot, encouraging language development and active participation.In this way, such books serve as learning tools, with a dash of fun, offering a structured way for children to stay engaged.

Dubai-based Anuja Singh vouches for their appeal: “These kinds of books have been so helpful during this time for my toddlers, as it gets difficult managing work and their online schooling. So, in the eveni