Ice cream for breakfast. TV before bedtime. Blowing bubbles in the living room. These are all things that are absolutely not allowed in my household, where my husband and I are raising two young children aged two and five. Yet, contrary to popular belief, these rules are absolutely in keeping with the whole gentle parenting philosophy we choose to follow.
I’ve read a few articles in big-name publications recently about how Millennials and Gen Z parents are turning their back on the movement. But, instead of changing my mind, it’s made me realise that not many people actually understand what gentle parenting is all about. That belief has been compounded by outward criticism of my parenting style by seemingly well-meaning relatives who tend to assume I’m being “soft” or “need to say 'no' more” when I decide to try to cheer up my crying toddler with a cuddle instead of telling them off.
So, what exactly is gentle parenting? Well, I refer to it as somewhere “in between”. There’s authoritarian parenting, which revolves around punishments and more traditional behaviour modification, particularly when children are acting up or having meltdowns.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s permissive parenting, where you essentially let your kids get away with whatever they want because you don’t have the energy to say no or you prefer to avoid conflict. And, so it seems, many have confused the latter with gentle parenting – but that’s exactly what it’s not.
“Gentle parenting’s philosophy centres around empathy, respect and healthy boundaries,” says Jasmine Collin, a parenting coach who created an online course on the subject I took when my now five-year-old daughter turned two. “It’s a relationship-centred approach that encourages co-operation over compliance, and connection over control. At its heart, gentle parenting is built on the belief that children are whole human beings – not future adults in training, but people worthy of respect right now.”
That doesn’t mean letting my daughter dictate that she’ll have Oreos whenever she wants them – but it might mean allowing her to decide whether she wants toast or a pre-approved type of cereal in the morning.
It doesn’t mean there are no consequences to her negative actions, either. But that won’t look like sitting on the “naughty step” or demanding she go to her room in a fit of rage; it’ll look more like holding space for her emotions and telling her it’s OK to feel her feelings, but that what she did still wasn’t right. Unless I lose my cool, of course – and that's OK, too, but I'll also apologise to them for that later.
Gentle parenting asks parents to examine their own reactions, regulate their emotions and lead with connection – which isn’t always easy or comfortable
Jasmine Collin,
parenting coach
“Gentle parenting can feel threatening to traditional parenting models that emphasise obedience, control or ‘tough love’,” says Collin. “For many, it challenges the way they were raised or how they’ve been told children should behave. It asks parents to examine their own reactions, regulate their emotions and lead with connection – which isn’t always easy or comfortable. So instead of being seen as a balanced and intentional approach, it can be dismissed or criticised, simply because it invites a shift away from what’s long been accepted as ‘normal’.”
Another UAE-based mum who sees the benefit is Rhiannon Downie, who grew up in a household where physical discipline was the norm. “I’ve noticed that when I react with aggression or lose my temper, it only fuels my son’s temper,” she tells The National. “It also sends the wrong message. If I can’t regulate my own emotions, how can I expect him to?”
Again, Downie is quick to clarify that doesn’t mean her son is allowed to do whatever he wants. “My husband and I try to be as gentle as possible in our parenting, but that doesn’t mean there’s no discipline. We have rules, there are consequences for actions, and I’ve definitely lost my cool on more than one occasion,” she admits. “I’m only human and I do get triggered easily. But, I’d much rather communicate calmly with my child than scream, shout or resort to violence. That approach helps no one, including me.”
No one’s perfect all the time, but people also seem to believe gentle parenting is about always staying calm, says Collin. “This myth puts a lot of pressure on parents and is totally unrealistic. Gentle parenting doesn’t expect perfection – it encourages repair when we mess up and models emotional honesty. It’s about progress, not perfection and role modelling what it is to be human, flaws and all.”
As for discipline, it prioritises teaching over punishing. It’s not a permanent “yes day”, as many critics might believe. “Permissive parenting can look similar, but it tends to lack boundaries,” Collin explains. “It often comes from a loving place, but it avoids conflict and lacks consistency. A permissive parent may struggle to say ‘no' because they don’t know how to deal with the children’s reaction. They often lack the tools and ability to stay calm and respond positively or they believe kindness means giving in to the child’s demands.”
But giving in to a child’s every demand is not kind. Setting clear, consistent boundaries is how kids thrive – as long as they’re delivered with empathy and respect rather than fear and shame, adds Collin. And these boundaries can look different from family to family, depending on their values.
For example, my husband values tidiness, so our kids are often reminded to clear up after themselves. There might be tears at first, and it might take a bit longer when dealing with subsequent tantrums calmly instead of demanding it happen immediately, “or else”, but the results are undeniable – and they have a far more long-term impact.
Deeper trust and communication, healing dysfunctional generational patterns, a stronger internal sense of identity and self-worth – these are all proven benefits of gentle parenting, according to the research, adds Collins.
At the end of the day, children learn by watching. “When we manage our emotions, apologise when we mess up and treat others with kindness, we’re teaching powerful life lessons,” says Collin. “I wish all parents knew that they only have to behave in ways they want their children to behave to raise kind and considerate grown-ups.”
The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
'Nope'
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jordan%20Peele%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Daniel%20Kaluuya%2C%20Keke%20Palmer%2C%20Brandon%20Perea%2C%20Steven%20Yeun%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Fight Night
FIGHT NIGHT
Four title fights:
Amir Khan v Billy Dib - WBC International title
Hughie Fury v Samuel Peter - Heavyweight co-main event
Dave Penalosa v Lerato Dlamini - WBC Silver title
Prince Patel v Michell Banquiz - IBO World title
Six undercard bouts:
Michael Hennessy Jr v Abdul Julaidan Fatah
Amandeep Singh v Shakhobidin Zoirov
Zuhayr Al Qahtani v Farhad Hazratzada
Lolito Sonsona v Isack Junior
Rodrigo Caraballo v Sajid Abid
Ali Kiydin v Hemi Ahio
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
The specs
Price: From Dh529,000
Engine: 5-litre V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 520hp
Torque: 625Nm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km
Biggest%20applause
%3Cp%3EAsked%20to%20rate%20Boris%20Johnson's%20leadership%20out%20of%2010%2C%20Mr%20Sunak%20awarded%20a%20full%2010%20for%20delivering%20Brexit%20%E2%80%94%20remarks%20that%20earned%20him%20his%20biggest%20round%20of%20applause%20of%20the%20night.%20%22My%20views%20are%20clear%2C%20when%20he%20was%20great%20he%20was%20great%20and%20it%20got%20to%20a%20point%20where%20we%20need%20to%20move%20forward.%20In%20delivering%20a%20solution%20to%20Brexit%20and%20winning%20an%20election%20that's%20a%2010%2F10%20-%20you've%20got%20to%20give%20the%20guy%20credit%20for%20that%2C%20no-one%20else%20could%20probably%20have%20done%20that.%22%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Maxus T60
Price, base / as tested: Dh48,000
Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder
Power: 136hp @ 1,600rpm
Torque: 360Nm @ 1,600 rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.1L / 100km
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
