Would Would you like to come along to the launch of Home Front: What do mums and dads need to make life work?

I can't get to London unfortunately but flexible working hours and getting employers from all industries to get behind employees working at home would really help with the whole work/life balance.

presumably getting as much pulicity as possible for the launch is the way to get greater, wider, participation in the actual debate. don;t have a problem with some journos getting a free lunch if that means they find something interesting to write and the project reaches more people.

I think the fact that it is all geared up for PR is what has annoyed me though, really. As if gaining publicity is the most important thing above making the thing convinient for parents...

But I'm glad it is only the launch so i'll get off me soap box and hope that anyone who is going has a lovely time and lets them know how it is!

I can't come but hope someone highlights the financial implicatons of parents having no extended family to help with childcare.

IME there's a huge financial difference between families who have to rely 100% on paid for childcare and those who get a proportion of free childcare from obliging grandparents/aunts etc. Multiply the cost over 10 or 15 years and it's emormous.

who pops anywhere in thier lunchbreak, boots at the end of the street maybe but across town no way.
I think you should make the point that their plans are ill thought out and specifically designed to exclude working parents and if that demonstrates how much insight they have into the problem well ......

Wow that was well planned a meeting for working parents wiht what 4 days notice they really are having a laugh.
Please will someone point out that probably half the parents who have nightmareish difficult family lives aren't there right now because they are at work!

Maybe it would have been a good idea to regional sessions and then taken the feedback recieved to the main session.

I would love to be there but I have ds2 (18 months) that would be with me and ds1 to pick up from pre-school at 11.30. I could make it after that but then dd needs collecting from school at 3.15pm, I have lots of points I'd like to raise and discuss too.

Now there's something I don't miss about London.

[blows nose, inspects sooty contents]

You may have a point there...

yeah - but you are a smug londinium person Hunker

Crikey, some of you would argue over which was your turtle foot and which was your crab foot, wouldn't you?

Mad.

I'd come, but my debating skills would be too nonchalant for you all.

which end of city rd is that?

the launch bit was in the thread title. but, in my defence, could have been emphasised more...(I'm talking to myself anyway)

Having just read the link above I see that the 14th July is indeed a launch event and that there are other aspects of the project to follow.

This is a link to the Commission's web page on the project

EHRC Working Better project

Justine could you clarify your op a bit? I think it might help.

you say "We?re trying to pin down the needs of mothers and fathers balancing paid work and caring for children and what can be done to make that balance work for all." is this a reference to the on-line debate scheduled to take place over summer - (in which case great) or a reference to this one-off event? The op isn;t clear. Is the one-off even in fact a launch event to encourage participation in the main thing - ie the on-line debate? (in which case targetting journalists is, of course, important) Can you clarify what the purpose of the 14th July event is? It might also be helpful if you gave us some indication of what other methodologies you and the Commission will be using.

Oh dear - I think Justine was being polite inviting mumsnetters along. The point is if you're launching anything to the press, all the press are in London. No they won't travel and you're lucky if they turn up to your carefully arranged 'do' at all even if they've promised they will

And yes the emphasis is meant to be on what's best for the journos because the organisers want to get press coverage! The debate itself is going to take place online during the summer.
As a point of interest, who is turning up for the round table discussion (other than London-based WOHM mumsnetters with long lunch breaks?)

Ouch. Am feeling sorry for Justine et al. Although lots of the points made have been valid... any road up, I'll try to come.

I agree with the majority here, once again something like this is London-centric. The concerns of those in the affluent SE are going to be very different to those in the NE - the most impoverished area in England.

Regional focus groups as someone has already suggested would get a much better cross-section of opinion.

I too felt a pang of gulit at being so negative about it but well...as uit is for me it's just tough

natch

blunt rusty spoon Snotty?