Parents' Forum

(Republished from the Spiked Review of Books, 25 September 2009)

Jennie Bristow’s new book is as engaging and witty as those rebellious ‘bad mum’ memoirs. But it’s far more important, both explaining and critiquing the tsunami of state meddling in family affairs.
by Ann Furedi.

‘[W]e are adults, not children to be bossed around. We should and must take responsibility for our own families and stand in solidarity with other parents.’

Jane Sandeman’s foreword to Jennie Bristow’s witty, incisive and eminently readable book sums it up succinctly. The book is a clarion call for parents to resist the experts’ persuasion that ‘there is a recipe to be assiduously followed’ that will produce the perfect child.

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This year’s Battle of Ideas, a two-day festival of social, political and cultural discussion is taking place in London, 31 October & 1 November 2009. Tickets are on sale now.

You might be interested in our exciting Parents’ Forum sessions and the Battle for Reproductive Choice Strand:

Parents’ Forum Sessions

• We Don’t Need No Sex Education
• Policing The Playground: Do Anti-Bullying Campaigns Do More Harm Than Good?
• Standing Up to Supernanny: Why We Need A Parents’ Liberation Movement
• Sporty Kids and Pushy Parents: How Much Encouragement Is Too Much?

Battle for Reproductive Choice

• Frankenstein’s Daughters: from science fiction to science fact?
• Whose Right to Choose? Choice, ethics and regulation in 21st century reproduction
• Three’s a crowd? The battle over population and reproduction

Speakers include:

Ken MacLeod (science fiction writer); Ann Furedi (Chief Executive, British Pregnancy Advisory Service); Dr Ellie Lee(lecturer in social policy, University of Kent); Simon Blake (national director, Brook); Professor Peter K Smith (head, Unit for School and Family Studies); Zoe Williams(columnist, The Guardian); Dr Katherine Rake (CEO, Family and Parenting Institute) and many more.

The Battle of Ideas is in its fifth year and is now a major fixture in London’s intellectual calendar. The Battle of Ideas was described by Chris Rapley, director of the Science Museum, as ‘a rare opportunity to debate first hand with those involved in the great issues of our time’.

The Battle of Ideas is a space where ideas can be argued for and fought over without constraint. Free speech allowed!

The event is held at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU and is organised by the Institute of Ideas .
Please forward this email to interested colleagues. I very much hope you will come and join the debate.

Join the Institute of Ideas & get a discounted Battle of Ideas 2009 ticket.