Kate Middleton on handling "toddler tantrums" from George, Charlotte and Louis
In news that will no doubt be welcomed by parents up and down the country, Kate Middleton (a mother of three, to Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis) has opened up about the joys and tribulations of raising children in a new candid video.
Filmed as part of the 5 Big Questions survey she ran earlier this year, in order to get a better understanding of how a person's early years impact the rest of their lives, the Duchess of Cambridge can be seen scrolling through a smartphone and reading out answers and comments from some of those who responded. (Sidenote: why does it feel so strange seeing a royal holding a phone, or interacting with modern technology? Somehow in our heads they still send faxes and use a quill. Anyone else?)
One question sent in, which prompted Kate to give a small, knowing laugh, was: 'How do you manage toddler tantrums in your household especially with multiple children?'. To this, the mother-of-three said, "Yes, that's a hard one. I'd also like to ask the experts myself!" The question was then thrown over to Alice Haynes, Deputy Head of the Early Years Programme at the Anna Freud Centre, who advised that calmly putting into words how you think your child might be feeling is a good start.
Also within the video, the Duchess reminisced on her own childhood after being asked about what she liked most about it – and the answer is something she's publicly discussed before. "That's a very good question," Kate says, before adding, "I loved spending time outside and that has stuck with me for my whole life."
In the past, the Duchess has spoken about the importance of getting fresh air with her family and has even helped to create a special garden as part of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She's also discussed candidly on Giovanna Fletcher's podcast, Happy Mum, Happy Baby, that she believes being surrounded by nurturing people had an enormous impact on her.
"One [lesson] is quality of relationships. So those moments you spend with people that are around you," Kate explained on the episode. "I remember that from my own childhood. I had an amazing Granny who devoted a lot of time to us, playing with us, doing arts and crafts, going into her greenhouse doing gardening stuff and cooking with us."
That love of cooking is also something Kate has passed onto her children, as her husband Prince William has also spoken before about spending lockdown getting stuck into a spot of family baking.
Royal children... they're just like us!
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