A Villa in the Meadows : How is it with kids?

If you have kids and you live in an apartment, I’m sure someone has asked you before – Don’t you want to move to a villa? Wouldn’t it be nicer to have more space? A garden? And I’m sure you’ve probably had a conversation with your husband about actually wanting to move. Well Pascale, owner of Moment of Parenting did just this. And, she, along with many other families who used to stay in a high-rise building made the big move to the Meadows. Read on, to see what she has to say.

When we first arrived in Dubai, picking where to live was our number 1 dilemma. Both of us worked in Media City, and we had a toddler and a newborn, so we limited our options to areas within a 10 minutes drive. Everyone recommended the Meadows, Lakes and Springs (MLS)! I’m slightly ashamed to say the thought of a villa scared me at first (who is going to maintain all that?!) so we opted for an apartment for our first contract.

Fast forward to the week before the first lockdown, my thoughts quickly changed into “Who is going to manage 2 toddlers locked in 1 apartment!!”

We quickly viewed a few villas and when we walked in to ours in Meadows, we knew this was it! – to be more specific, we sneaked into the garden and broke in from the back door as instructed by the agent that did not show up for the viewing, which I later understood is quite common!

The garden has a couple of large trees offering lots of shade and the space inside provides plenty of play opportunities for the kids. Quick call, negotiations, 4 days later and just 1 day before lockdown, we were in! Phew!

A gated community, kid-friendly, safe, where you feel like you’re in the suburbs but you’re just a few minutes away from Sheikh Zayed Road.

It’s been over 1 year and we still love it, here’s why:

The nature

Countless palm trees everywhere you look and beautiful lakes just a couple of minutes walk away: walk, jog or bike around them and it feels like a mini wellbeing session.

This is where my girl learned how to bike and roller blade. And where my son loves to spot the new birds. Seriously, how do they get so many beautiful birds to stay around here?

We often get parakeets visiting our garden or go watch the new “ducks”, as he calls all of the species, swimming in the lake. A gorgeous sunbird built her nest by our front door and we often see hummingbirds by our window. My clients always comment on our calls about the sounds of birds in the background. Who knew we could live in the desert and enjoy this beautiful nature?

As to our own garden, we preferred the look of a mature green busy garden instead of a manicured new clean one which is why we felt it suits us.

2. The amenities

Pools, basketball, tennis, football courts, many playgrounds and even a dog park. All within easy access. Yes it was a pity we couldn’t enjoy any of that in our first 6 months or so due to Covid regulations, but we’re making up for it 🙂

Also if you’re into Golf, the Emirates and the Montgomerie Golf Clubs are both in the area. The mini Golf in EGC is great fun for the kids and the Topgolf for the grownups.

Overlooking the lake at The Address Montgomery

Can I just mention the restaurants in both places are just amazing?

Jones the Grocer or Phileas Fogg’s with the kids – Carine or The Orangery for a dreamy date night!

3. The shopping & Town centres

Meadows Souk, Meadows Village, Springs Souk, The Lakes club and even Marina mall, at least 1 of them is less than 5 minutes away from you. What more could you need?

The newest one being Meadows Village which is honestly ticking all my boxes with Waitrose, Mama’esh (drool!) and Magrudy’s opening soon. I admit I did a little happy dance when I walked in. The seats outside the cafes all have a gorgeous view over the lake and the kids have space to run or scoot around. We’ll be spending a lot of time there.

4. The security

Did anyone ever ring your doorbell in the evening to let you know you left your car’s lights on? Or the car trunk open? (yep I’ve done that) – Security here does an amazing job, always smiling, doing their rounds and keeping us safe. The community feels relaxed, very family friendly, calm and peaceful.

5. The Location

Okay I’ve said that enough, but seriously it’s my favourite part, we’re never too far for anything, we can sneak out at night to have a dinner date anywhere we want and be home quickly in case one of the kids needs us – yes it happens a lot… We can come home after school for a little break then go back out without worrying about all the driving and time needed.

Now to keep this balanced, if you ask me about 1 thing I don’t like: the maintenance an old villa requires… So if you’re renting, try to score a renovated one 🙂

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Pascale’s journey to Mindful Parenting started when striving to develop her wellbeing while leading a team at Google, working full time, being a parent of 2 and moving countries!

She discovered the power of coaching and mindfulness which led her to become a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (ICF certified). She received additional training in Relationship Coaching as well as Psychology, Parenting and Wellbeing. She runs group workshops for parents, offers private family consultations as well as individual or couple coaching. She is passionate about making an impact on the human level that will have a ripple effect on their community and generations to come.

If interested to know more about what she does, have a look at her Moment of Parenting Instagram page.

This is one of a series of posts which forms “Is Dubai suitable for families?”