Interview

I know I am not alone in my current Obsession; Finding, choosing and then ‘winning’ a school place for my child . When you have a child everyone tells you that your life will change forever what they don’t exactly tell you is how your life will change. You are well aware that you will be tired (personally I spent the first year in a zombie like state), you understand that perhaps nights of painting the town red will be fewer and getting your stomach flat will take work. What no one tells you (maybe they did tell me but I wasn’t listening- I’m self obsessed, remember) is that you will spend the rest of your life worrying about your child; not just his or her wellbeing and safety but the choices you make on your child’s behalf. I was seriously lucky with my choice of nursery school (anyone in North West London I wholeheartedly recommend Ready Steady Go). Choosing the right ‘Big School’ has been a total nightmare for me. Maybe it’s because I’m really just a simple Northern girl out of my depth in the big smoke. I chose what I felt was the right school (that’s right I chose just ONE school) for my Son and applied for a place (arrogantly?) expecting to get it. I did not, I say I because I am now under no illusion  (FYI nor should you be ) of who is being interviewed for a school place it’s not your darling perfect little angel it’s YOU. In hindsight (such a great thing) I did not choose my outfit wisely; Black skinny jeans, black t-shirt, converse all stars, a Missoni coat and a TON of black, white and grey pearls. An outfit just fine for work in Primrose Hill, not for an interview at a very posh, conservative school in St John’s wood however. So my son has spent the last two years at a vey fine local state school. The class size is just too big for him now and he is falling behind, easily distracted and in need of more structure and formality. I find myself preparing to be interviewed once again. This time I shall chose my attire more intelligently!(I will also pray that my single mother status will not count against me, bloody hell it could , couldn’t it?! I just can’t obsess about that too).

  

READY STEADY GO 110 Gloucester Avenue 
London NW1 8HX+44 (0) 20 7586 5862, Cashmere Cardigan £249 Brora, Ballet pumps 235€ prettyballerinas.com.

The Good Schools Guide www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk .

Equality

Why is everyone so obsessed with equality and ‘having it all’ and the question of ‘Can you ever have it all’? I really don’t understand haven’t we gone past the whole equal rights for women bra burning thing? Isn’t 2010 all about choice? Hasn’t life been about choice all along? So, some areas of industry will always be dominated by one sex; car mechanics are predominantly Men and manicurists are predominantly Women. That’s ok though and it’s still a choice. As far as ‘having it all’ isn’t that a choice too? My idea of having it all is just that; my choices, my goals, my ambitions. And the pressure to achieve is levied by me. The media says models are too thin, turn the page to read; ‘Drop a dress size in two weeks’ while another publication announces ‘Women Still earning 20% less than men’. All these ‘headlines’ are there to pad out pages and give us something to talk about over dinner and at the photocopier.  There are an increasing number of men out there staying at home raising the children while their wives are working late into the evening and earning the big bucks. We do not live in a dictatorship (or do we?).

Chocolate Box Bra (burn it if you must- personally I think it's far too pretty!) £75 Miss Lala Presents, 'Manny' (Male Nanny) www.mybigbrother.com, Something Beautiful for God (Mother Theresa Biography) by Malcolm Muggeridge £10 Amazon, Fidel Castro Biography by Robert E.Quirk £17 Amazon.