What three things would you like a political party to promise parents

[Carriemumsnet]

Another Radio 5 thingy - this time on Sunday morning. They want us to put forward parents' views on election issues (in about 2 minutes) so we thought we'd ask you to whittle it down to the big three issues that you'd like the politicans to focus on. Or putting it another way - if you were PM what 3 things would you do for parents?

Your votes please....

[SoupDragon]

1. Put money into research to develop a suspended animation cupboard.
   
   No, seriously...
   
   Sort out the education system so it's not such a lottery.
   The NHS. Not just for children either!
   A system to care for those who need it that works properly

[Twiglett]

affordable childcare

decent local education

• get rid of SATs in primaries where the focus should be on learning the joy of learning
  
• stop using the phrase 'choice', its rubbish, we see through it, there is no choice when it comes to getting your children into the most popular school its luck and location
  
• invest in schools
  
  health service

[JulieF]

Stop the Sure Start postcode divide and make support to prents available to everyone.

scrap SATS and impose discipline in schools

scrap the baby bond and instead give it to parents to use when their children are first born, perhpas as part of a better maternity package.

[milge]

NHS - esp in relation to SN support, eg SALT, portgage. All the money being thrown in from Govt doesn't appear to be making a difference on the ground.
Education - its a mess.
Crime/Street disorder/Asbo's - make it safe on the streets, so our kids can play outside without fear.

[SenoraPostrophe]

• I also object to "choice" in education - like twig says, not many people actually get a choice so they should stop going on about it and start making all schools better. In fact, stop tinkering around with the education system and just have it like it always was, only better (no SATs, no PFI etc). A US friend told me that UK education is the envy of the world the other day but they have to keep tinkering!

- make childcare tax deducatable, if not free

- NHS. again, stop whittering on about choice and make sure decent LOCAL maternity etc services are available.

[bossykate]

decent state secondary schools - state primaries generally good if vvv oversubscribed, but diabolical at secondary level at least in inner london
8-6 childcare or more stringent requirements for employers re flexible working
6 terms per year - get rid of long holidays which are more difficult for working parents to manage and v. disruptive to children's education and stability

[bossykate]

yes all childcare tax deductible

[MarsLady]

money, money, money

[Caligula]

1. Raise child benefit to a level where women have a real choice about whether to work in or outside the home.

2. Stop trying to run education from Whitehall, give up the choice crap, withdraw tax advantages from private schools and use the money to improve schools which are open to everyone, regardless of income.

3. Begin to work towards reducing the working week so that the norm becomes both partners working what is now considered part-time so that parents can function as parents as well as workers.

[WideWebWitch]

Agree, make it financially viable for parents to be sah if that's what they want
Education, ban private schools ideally. OK, seriously since that's not going to happen, do whatever it takes to make sure all schools are decent.
Go further wrt flexible working regs, atm there's only the right to apply for flexible working, the legislation needs teeth so employers have to comply in certain cases.

[ScummyMummy]

Good state school system and good state schools.

Flexible work policies- I mean what are we supposed to do with 2 coughy coldy kids who can't be sent to school? They're 6 so no parental leave stuff applies anymore, meaning that partner and I are faced with a choice of one of us taking last minute annual leave, calling in sick or taking them to work with us (er, no way!). None of these options go down well with work, unsurprisingly. The boys coming down with minor illnesses is often the straw that breaks the camel's back in our house, making all the balls we normally juggle quite comfortably come tumbling down in one fell swoop.

Put money into play work and leisure stuff for kids. I'd like to see more free stuff for slightly older kids- say over 8s. More adventure playgrounds and trained playworkers would be great.

[donnie]

agree with all points made about REAL choice in schools for our kiddies.

• more support for small and local farmers so that the supermarket giants stop strangling local British farmers( inc organic ones)
  
• genuine commitment to environmental issues including forcing through legislation to cut packaging,fuel emmissions etc etc
  
• too many more!

[milward]

Recognition of sahm's - full pension contribution, less tax for partners who work.

Recognition of the good bf does for mum & infant - less nhs contibutions for life for child.

Education - proper non-selective mixed special needs/ non special needs schools that enable all children to mix and learn to their best abilities.

[Georgiasmum]

• A choice RE staying at home or going back to work; tax deductable childcare or more child benefit for those who want to stay at home.
  
  
• Better discipline in schools and put all those baby bonds into helping disadvantaged schools (ot that I'm ungraeful or anything!
  
  
• Improved maternity care in inner cities - why is it that my country friends get free nuchal scans, dedicated one on one midwifery care from 8 weeks onwards and get seen more often?

[aloha]

Education
Education
Education

[aloha]

Now, where did I here that before?

[aloha]

Agree with BK - tax deductible childcare. So unfair otherwise. Huge incentive for the working parents they claim to care so much about. Childcare is MUCH more important to working parents than lunches or chauffeurs!
Also proper maternity provision - more, better midwives. A Jamie Oliver style revolution in hospital food.

[bumptobabies]

cor where do i start, heres a few

mental health ie postnatal depression support

realistic support for parents at uni cos who can live off £150 per week

dental provision

more sport in school

healthy meals in education and health settings

a female priminister whos had children may help after all behind a succesful man is a good woman

[PeachyClaire]

More support / cash for special educational needs- yes I know I'm biased, but it would give more averqage kids some more space and time with their teachers too.


Childcare provision on WFTC to be available to certain students, specifically me! OK, yes I know, but I am going to train to be a Teacher in a shortage subject, so there is a payback isn't there?

Instead of just setting up more and more sure start schemes (which are temporary anyway), invest in the organisations that already are doing the work successfully... I am thinking abot Home Start in particluar, the local one is always on the verge of bankruptcy

[lunavix]

I'd like
Help with childcare - subsidised at the very least.
Some help if you are a stay at home mum - It's a tough job and we deserve pay!
More regular maternity/health visitor checks and appointments. As a high risk pregnancy I only saw my midwife about 4 times! Rubbish.

[snafu]

Pretty much the same as everyone else really:

End of 'postcode lottery' for education

Continuity of NHS maternity care and carer to be a reality for every mother

Increased provision for flexible working for both parents

And I'm biased too but I'd agree with peachyclair's point about childcare provision for student parents who will go on to become key workers - i.e. me!

[Nemo1977]

another for giving benefits/ allowance for better options as to whether to be sahm or working.

allowing parenting help to be available to everyone not just deprived areas.

Increased awareness and funding for mental health issues.

More child friendly hours for both parents as my dh works 8-8 5/6 days a week.

[mrsflowerpot]

Been said already, but:

1. Stop hiding behind false notion of "choice" in education and recognise that (most) parents would rather that they could be confident that all schools were equally decent and they could send their child to the the nearest school without worrying.
   
   
2. Recognition for SAHPs - make it a real choice for families by allowing working partner to use SAH partner's tax code for example.
   
   
3. Better post natal care for new mothers (including breast feeding help), and better support generally for new parents. Health visitors are a fab idea in principle, but we all know that in practice they often do more harm than good, partly I think because they don't seem to have a consistent agenda and they have very patchy knowledge in many cases. Parents need to believe that they are on our side and really there to help, which I don't think is the case currently.