Meet Tanai Bernard, Single Black Mother Of 3 Who Moved To The UAE

Single Black Mother Of 3 Talks About Why She Moved Her Family To The Middle East

The Washington Post took time out to interview Tanai Bernard, a single mother of 3 who moved her kids from Texas all the way across the globe on a teacher’s salary and her story is interesting!

The single black mother spoke about what prompted the move, the quality of life in the Middle East and dating Middle Eastern men. Peep some exerpts from her interview below.

Why the UAE?

Before discussing it with my now ex-husband, it was never on my radar. Our home in Texas was being rented out, so at that point it was either leave, be homeless, or move in with family. We liked the living standards the UAE offered. When I realized he was making no effort to get a passport, I stepped out on faith on my own with the kids.

What type of work do you do there?

I have an engineering degree, but I’m also a certified teacher. I currently teach math for Emirati girls.

Since arriving in 2013, how do you feel the UAE has treated you as a single mom?

It’s not as conservative as people think. The people, particularly the men, are quite accepting of my marital status. If anything, sometimes I feel some of the men are intimidated by it: Like, how can she do it all by herself? People automatically assume you’re married if you’re woman here. But I’ve never had an issue with being open about being a single mom. My family has been embraced since day one.

My Emirati students are the most fascinated by my life. Because many are products of plural marriages, they see their own mothers struggle while their fathers support multiple households. They ask how I do it — balancing three kids while still finding time to enjoy my life. And some of the parents read my blog, so they’re familiar with me. But overall, the locals tend to be fascinated with my life because it’s not the norm here.

Are you living comfortably in the UAE on a teacher’s budget and three kids?

Absolutely! I recently celebrated my 32nd birthday on a yacht. There’s no way I could have afforded that in the U.S. My salary is comparable to what I made in the U.S. However, my employer covers my housing and health insurance for my children and me. Remove those costs, and you have a greater deal of disposable income.

I can comfortably travel with my kids here. We’ve been to the Philippines, Bali, Italy, Cancun and Sri Lanka.

Do you plan on coming back to the U.S.?

Do I want to go back to struggling, living paycheck to paycheck? I’m an educator; I already know what my paycheck is going to look like. But we have a sweet deal here, the people are very welcoming, and the kids are happy being able to enjoy the same activities in the U.S. while seeing the world.

Ultimately, I’m stuck deciding: Do I want to be closer to my family in the U.S., but that would mean going back to struggling [financially]? Or do I stay distanced from my family but maintain a better life for my kids and myself?

Tanai is certainly brave for making such a huge move, do you think you could do it?

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