Tell us a bit about Mother Pukka and Flex Appeal, and what you do: It began in a frenzied moment when I was late to pick up my daughter Mae from nursery and felt the working world didn’t want to know about family. It was like a dirty secret and I didn’t want to keep it a secret anymore. So I set out to encourage companies to see flexible working as a way to retain top female talent that would otherwise have been lost to this pressured time in your life. Our aim is not to lambast companies, simply to show how it can work and hope others follow.
What do you think are the best things about raising kids in London?: I bizarrely love the Tube. The people watching. The grit. The noise, and in summer when the streets smell of old rubbish. I love that it’s an imperfect mass of people trying to make something work.
… and the challenges?: All of the above. It’s not an easy choice with a family.
What’s your favourite child-friendly hangout in London?: I love the V&A fountain area because it’s less rammed with kids and yet still kid-friendly.
Describe your perfect sunny day in London with your kids: Simply asking Mae what she wants to do and doing it, from going down the local park to seeing the T. Rex at the Natural History Museum.
… and your perfect rainy one?: Eating dry Cheerios out of a bowl in front of James and the Giant Peach.
Photo credit: Anna Whitehouse
bablands.com 