NC for this one...
Background: DP and I are junior doctors. He works shifts in A&E, I am 9-5 in a hospital specialty but on-call from home. I do most evening care for our DSs aged 3 and 5. We have no family and due to work have to move a lot - have a good babysitter who is in demand as shes v good, but no real friends in new city.
I'm in a newish rotation and my boss has said I have to represent our specialty on a national committee of junior docs as I'm the only junior working there at present. That seemed fine.
However the meetings are roughly 6 weekly, 7-10pm in a different city 1.5hrs away. I say roughly as it's not always the same day of week etc. There is option for Video Conference locally. I have been emailing the chair asking about this- explaining childcare commitments etc but that either way I really need to know date/time and if possible have a specific slot to present.
She finally emailed on Friday night with an agenda- for tuesday, and no VC details! Needless to say DP is on back shift and cannot swap this late. Plus my area isn't even on the agenda. She emailed me separately saying "if you can't come in person you can call in from home but you'd need to call into the whole meeting".
Very few people on this committee - being mainly junior docs- have kids so suspect she just doesn't have a clue. But really- AIBU to be pissed off that someone expects me to be able to either get childcare or magically make 2 boisterous children be quiet for 3 hours crossing over with their bed and bathtimes, with 4 days notice??
I am under pressure to do this from my boss, who I am anxious not to disappoint. How do I reply to this chair woman without sounding like an unreasonable boot!?