Mom Spotlight: Jackie Go

Eight months after leaving Manila, we check in with Jackie Go to see how the popular blogger is juggling her new life in Dubai.

Popular blogger Jackie Go is a homemaker, mother, and blogger.  Her life in Manila consisted of attending to her kids (shuttling them to and from school), attending meetings and events, and maintaining her eleven-year-old blog, Go Jackie Go.  Choosing not to have a helper, meant also taking on housework, like cooking and cleaning.  The quarantine should have brought some reprieve–no meetings or events to drive to–but Jackie notes that there was still an always-on-the-go feeling. 

“Though the last nine months of 2020 were different because of the pandemic, a typical day for me is pretty much the same sans going out because of quarantine, yet we still followed a routine. The kids did distance learning (with timezone difference since we already enrolled them at their school here in Dubai prior to leaving). Add preparing to move to another country during the pandemic to the list, I think that was the busiest I’ve ever been,” Jackie shares.

Life in Dubai is a little different from her non-stop go-go-go routine in Manila, and definitely a world apart from the Manila she’d left behind.  “There’s a sense of normalcy here in Dubai,” she says.  

Being in Dubai, Jackie’s kids go to school instead of stare at a screen.  After she picks them up from school, they spend time and hangout together. On weekends they are able to spend time outdoors, ride their bikes, or visit the beach.  Initially, Jackie had anxiety about doing these things–especially having come from Manila–but she notes that the Dubai government was quite efficient with administering vaccines and taking steps to achieve herd immunity.  As this happened, she began to relax more and began exploring more.  Frequently, they try to explore the city, taking advantage of the diversity of people found in Dubai.

Jackie specifically uses this as a learning point for her children. “As a mom it’s always been my responsibility to instill values to my kids. Our non-negotiables are to be respectful and kind to everyone. Not just because we’re in a different country that we have to adjust; respect and kindness is given regardless, and my kids know it’s something they must always show towards other people.”

Beyond this, Jackie also notes that the move to Dubai has given her family a chance to get to know each other in a different way.  She marvels at how resilient and how graceful her kids have been throughout the pandemic, online learning, moving schools, moving country, and more!  These are traits she might not have seen without the opportunity they have been given. With everything that they went through, Jackie frequently reminds them to discuss their feelings, telling them that all feelings are valid. “My husband & I usually talk to them over dinner and when we tuck them in for the night. Random things that would exercise their ability to identify their emotions in current situations/certain scenarios. I think emotional intelligence is as important as learning Math or having good grammar. I want to teach them to own their emotions and express themselves without any judgement. So at an early age they can understand themselves more and in return learn to love themselves better. Because with all that’s happening in the world, it’s good to keep a check on our kids’ emotional wellbeing and this is something that I encourage every parent to do.”

These days Jackie is still actively blogging, updating her readers on what life is like in Dubai, often sharing tips and tricks (like how to get your driver’s license) and sharing travel and food ideas as she visits places to eat and different sites. She is looking forward to continue sharing her experiences as well as to explore more of the United Arab Emirates and write about that too!