Live webchat with Fiona Millar, Tuesday 3rd March, 1-2pm

[RachelMumsnet]

Fiona Millar will be visiting us at Mumsnet Towers for a live webchat on Tuesday 3rd March between 1 and 2pm. Her book The Secret World of the Working Mother: Juggling Work, Kids and Sanity will be out on Thursday 5th March. Fiona is a well-known journalist, educational campaigner and mother of three. If you can't join us on Tuesday, post your questions in advance on this thread.

[WilfSell]

Damn. Missed her. Bloody real life. I have a LOT of respect for Mrs Campbell Ms Millar.

[emkana]

Well she ignored my question... [harumph]

[squeaver]

Well that was the very model of how a web-chat should be!! Well done all round.

I've always thought she seemed like a good sort so glad to be proven right.

As for all that carry-on beforehand - ffs!

[Podrick]

err "in touch with" not "in charge with"!

[Podrick]

egyptianprincess I hope you bring and win a sex discrimination case against your employer who has clearly acted completely unreasonably. I think the decision of your employer was damaging to society and to the economy in general. I think they should make it crystal clear at recruitment time to young women applicants that they will effectively have to leave if they dare to have a child. In the 60's my mum had to leave her job as a bank teller due to pregnancy...this shocked me but it seems that we haven't made that much progress after all.

Maybe you could also use the EU working hours legislation and get Fiona Millar to put you in charge with someone who can write a Sunday magazine exposure article?

[mrsruffallo]

She came across very well didn't she?

[bagsforlife]

Yes, v nice and sensible. Hope she does log on and joins in some of the education topics.

[fryalot]

gosh, she seemed very nice, didn't she!

Bloody good idea to have her answering pre-posted questions in advance so the whole hour could be pretty much dedicated to the "live" bit of the live web chat

[mrsbaldwin]

Yes, thanks very much.

I am going to order the book - I need something good to read whilst I am in labour

[Scorta]

ahh it was 1 - 2
Oh well I knw there is no good answer anyway
sadly

[CMOTDibbler]

Thanks Fiona. I'll go and order the book now - and see if it's as sensible as you sound.

[morningpaper]

[FionaMillar]

Thanks everyone..really enjoyed all the questions and comments. Lots of food for thought. i will be logging on regularly now!!

[JustineMumsnet]

Thanks very much all for great questions and to Fiona for coming on.

Bravo!

[Scorta]

State schools just do not have the facilities for ALL children so often, if your child h as a special skill or talent it is over looked.

How can this be addesssed?

[FionaMillar]

mp's dh VERY good question...you're not one of the many friends we stopped seeing in that era are you?!! Eventually it became easier not to go out and only socialise with people from work which got quite boring!

[Maiakins]

Thanks Fiona for answering so honestly. I agree that part of you thinks, for gods sake man just pull yourself together! Especially if you are feeling vulnerable yourself and don't feel like being the 'rock' of the family.

It is great that Alastair allows you to discuss how it has affected you, because a lot of men don't even want their family/friends to know - so you struggle to deal with it in silence.

I'll definitely check out Grazia next week!

[FionaMillar]

porpoise not necessarily all better now because he has been depressed a lot of the time and felt he should have still been there making a difference and also that I made him leave..so lots of guilt and blame which we are just about finished with arguing about! However it is lovely NOT to have to swim every day at 6:00 am and I think we have done enough politics for now!

[FionaMillar]

zanzibar not against faith schools only their admissions system. Totally against academic selection of any sort which should be gradually phased out now . It doesn't just afffect the chances of other local schools but it means that a majority of children in areas that still have the 11 plus start their secondary school lives feeling like failures

[FionaMillar]

maiakins that is a very interesting point. i think I do subconsciously try not to make him more depressed and the 'looking after ' thing probably has led to him being slightly infantilised in terms of housework.. I have just done an interview with Grazia on this subject which you may want to look at - out next week - it is terribly difficult to describe the effect of living with someone who has mental health problems and at times I haven't been as sympathetic as he would have liked but then part of you is always thinking rationally ( can't they just pull themselves together?) when depresssion defies rational explanation. However I am glad that he has brought this out in to the open and allowed me to talk about it because i can tell from the letters he has received that this does help other people especially as men often don't want to own up to mental health issues

[Amey]

Fiona,

Do you agree that no school (state or private) can meet the needs of every child. Which is the reason many choose private education.

[CMOTDibbler]

What do you wish you'd done differently in your family life ? Apart from delegating on the housework front

[pollycazalet]

Next project then Fiona - although some would say you'd be even less qualified to write it than this one

[morningpaper]

go on go on let me ask one more question. I have a question from my husband. He wants to know: "how did you manage to keep all the high quality gossip from new Labour out of your day to day conversations with family and friends?"

[FionaMillar]

morning paper does anyone stop to ask whether all private schools meet the needs of their more able pupils. I bet a lot don't. There is good and bad in both sectors but a good state school should be able to stretch and stimulate children of all backgrounds. I am pleased to say i was never a head girl or prefect.Nor did I do particularly well at school as I found my social life much more interesting..it isn't all about exam grades even now.