🧘♀️ Keeping Your Sanity (and Your Schedule) as an Expat Parent in Bali
From early school runs to toddler meltdowns in rice fields, here’s how to stay cool, calm, and well-fed in Ubud.
Life in Bali. You pictured morning yoga, coconut sipping, kids laughing barefoot under palm trees. Reality? A bit of that, sprinkled with tantrums in the middle of Bintang Supermarket and last-minute scooter scrambles to school. If you’ve ever had to fish a LEGO out of the pool while answering a WhatsApp voice note from your landlord, this article is for you.
Welcome to parenting in paradise : beautiful, yes, but definitely not without its chaos. Here's how to stay grounded, balanced, and (crucially) fed as an expat family in Ubud.
🏫 1. The School Run
In theory, everything in Ubud is “15 minutes away.” In practice, those 15 minutes include dodging chickens, traffic jams, and getting stuck behind a temple procession.
Tip: Most families eventually opt for a private driver or a trusted Gojek/Grab contact for school runs. It's less about luxury and more about survival. It gives you time to breathe (or finish that almost cold coffee).
📅 2. Routine Is Your Best Friend
Life on the island moves slower… unless you have kids. Then, every day is a mix of jungle adventure and logistical juggling. A routine doesn’t sound glamorous, but trust us, it’s what keeps things semi-sane.
Create anchors in your day: morning walks, snack time after school, Wednesday pool afternoons. The tropical freedom is great, but even coconut trees appreciate structure.
🍽 3. Meal Planning: The Hidden Stress No One Talks About
Between navigating your toddler’s sudden hate of “green things,” and figuring out where to find crème fraîche, food planning in Bali can be... intense.
Sure, you could cook. But imported products cost a fortune (and sometimes melt in your scooter basket). You could order in, but after your fifth lasagna in a row, the novelty fades.
That’s where Ibulicious comes in.
Imagine this:
Freshly prepared Western-style meals
Delivered twice a week to your door
Includes one starter, one meal and one snack per day (6 days in total)
Reheat in minutes, even without an oven or a microwav
Reusable containers (just rinse and return on delivery day!)
For around 290 000 rp per day, you get the taste of home without lifting a spatula. Think lasagna, creamy soups, gratins, banana bread, real chocolate mousse… And for little ones, half-portions at half-price keep both tummies and budgets happy.
One Ibulicious meal a day + one simple snack and a warung bite = a balanced, stress-free food routine that keeps everyone smiling.
🌧 4. Prepare for the Unexpected (Bali Will Deliver)
There will be days when the power cuts out mid-blender. When it rains sideways just as you’ve hung your laundry. When your child comes home from school with a pet snail and an urgent need for a costume for “batik heritage day” tomorrow.
The good news? Most expat parents have been there. Flexibility is your new superpower. Say yes to the weird, embrace the muddy, and keep a spare umbrella in your scooter basket at all times.
💆♂️ 5. Don’t Forget You Exist Too
Parenting in Bali can feel immersive, and that’s lovely until you realize it’s been three weeks since you did something just for yourself. Take turns with your partner or hire a nanny (many local families offer part-time help) and schedule breaks.
Even an hour at a café with a book, a solo walk through the rice fields, or a massage can work wonders.
🤝 6. Community Is Everything
One of the best parts of raising kids in Ubud? The other families.
There are Facebook groups full of tips, support, and nanny recommendations. Playgroups, nature schools, creative workshops, and co-ops offer social spaces for both kids and parents.
Feeling overwhelmed? Someone else has been there, and they might even offer you banana pancakes and a venting session.
🛵 7. Embrace the Chaos… and Outsource the Rest
You moved to Bali for a reason : to simplify, slow down, reconnect. But even here, parenting comes with its wild ride. The trick is knowing what to let go of (like cooking every meal from scratch), and what to lean into (like muddy jungle walks and spontaneous beach days).
With solutions like Ibulicious, you can offload the mental load of “what’s for dinner?” and spend more time enjoying the parts of Bali that brought you here in the first place.
🧡 Final Thought: You're Doing Better Than You Think
Your house may be covered in sand, your child might be wearing two different shoes, and your idea of “me time” is standing in front of the fan for five minutes. But look around : you’re raising a family in paradise.
You're not failing. You're just living the very real, very imperfect, and incredibly memorable expat life.
And when dinner shows up at your door, homemade and still warm? That’s not just convenient. That’s parenting magic.
Hungry for more than just advice?
Check out Ibulicious and get your first family meal delivered next Monday. Your fridge (and your mental health) will thank you.
