While most agree Abu Dhabi is a great city for raising children, there are some pitfalls you may face as a parent

1. Easy lifestyle: A proliferation of maids and nannies in town means kids who grow up here can easily fall into the trap of not cleaning up after themselves, a habit that is sure to serve them badly the minute they stop living at home.

2. Dangerous roads: Take a look at any given lane around the capital and you’re sure to see children riding around in the front seats of cars, often without seatbelts on, sometimes hanging out the sunroof. Another bad habit to form early.

3. Dangerous heat: It’s no secret the summers are very hot here, and the backseat of a car that’s been parked for any length of time can become deadly – literally. Parents must take extra precautions against heatstroke, especially for little ones.

4. Transience: In the famous words of the Dorothy who goes to Oz, people come and go so quickly here. Every school year – and often several times throughout the year – children may be faced with forming close ties with friends who have to leave.

5. Grass roots: Ask a third-culture child who was born in Abu Dhabi where they’re from and the answer is likely to be a paragraph rather than a place. Children with dual nationalities can have a hard time establishing an identity or relating to any one nationality – which isn’t always a bad thing.

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