Lifestyle

Kate Middleton opens up about how ‘tough’ it is to raise children today

04 Feb 2023

Britain's Kate, Princess of Wales arrives at the University of Leeds in Leeds, England. AP

Kate Middleton has spoken out about mental health awareness and how “tough” it can be to raise children in today’s society.

In a new video released on Friday, the Princess of Wales spoke to radio host Roman Kemp about the early years of child development and her newest campaign, Shaping Us. Kate is the mother of three children, Prince George, nine, Princess Charlotte, seven, and Prince Louis, four, who she shares with husband Prince William.

During his conversation with the royal, Kemp addressed the financial struggles parents around the world are facing as they juggle raising children and “keeping a roof above their heads”. Kate agreed with the statement, as she explained the goal of her campaign and acknowledged the challenges of parenting.

“And this is the thing, is that every family is different. The pressures we face are all different, whilst raising the importance of early childhood,” she said. “This isn’t about putting extra pressure on families. It’s actually saying they need the support and help reprioritising family life, home life and all that it takes in raising children today because it is tough.”

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She added that the “relationships in the family” children are surrounded by are “so important,” as well as the space in which they are raised.

“The environment in which you bring up a child is as important, as whereas the experiences you engage them with,” Kate continued. “It’s not about the number of toys they’ve got or the number of sort of trips that you go on with them. It’s just making sure that they’ve got the right emotional support around them and that comes from the adults in their lives.”

Although Kemp acknowledged how grateful he’s been to be “very loved” throughout his life, he also said that it “would be nice” if this was more of a “normality”.

The princess agreed, adding: “Yeah. And love goes a long way. It’s very true.”

The 41-year-old first launched Shaping Up earlier this week, a project that is said to be her “life’s work”.

“The campaign is fundamentally about shining a spotlight on the critical importance of early childhood and how it shapes the adults we become,” she said during her speech as she unveiled the campaign at Bafta’s London HQ. “During this time we lay the foundations and building blocks for life. And it is when we learn to understand ourselves, understand others and understand the world in which we live.”

She further emphasised how essential is it to not only “understand the unique importance of our earliest years,” but also to learn how we can “help raise future generations of happy, healthy adults”.

The princess also outlined the scope of her “long-term” project, which will go on to “explore in more depth the importance of a child’s social and emotional world”.