Now matter what universe you live in, parenting is hard work. And in the royal universe, parenting is infinitely more difficult. Think about it: Prince William and Kate Middleton battle the press, paparazzi, and the world's eyes watching their every move — all while having to be good parents to Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis! It's hard to remember that the Cambridges are going through everything that regular parents have to go through, but Kate and Will have to do it all in the public space. We can't imagine how they've coped, but in all the years that these two have been parents, they've managed to be pretty inspirational while they're at it. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have definitely broken the royal parenting mold, and they certainly aren't going to stop now.
From being super hands-on with the Cambridge kids to opening up about the struggles that all parents go through at some point, Kate and Wills are here to remind us that they're a regular mom and dad just trying to do best for their kiddos! Except for the fact that these two have a public platform, and they are using it to speak out about some of the hardships of parenting. For all parents out there who have ever felt a little lost or overwhelmed, Prince William and Kate are here to say that they are not alone.
No matter what they do, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge always seem to be inspiring us with their parenting wisdom, and it makes us doubt that they ever had any motherhood or fatherhood struggles at all! With three kids now, it's pretty much a given that Kate and Will are parenting experts, and we could all learn a thing or two from this royal couple. So, here are 20 ways Kate Middleton and Prince William inspire us as parents.
Raising the Kiddos 'Normally'
Normal might be an extremely relative term in their case, but Kate and Prince William are doing their best to raise their kids as non-royal as possible. Now, of course they still have certain traditions they have to uphold, but at the end of the day, the Cambridges are bring up their kids as just … kids!
Keeping the Big Secret From George
Kate and Will have reportedly not told Prince George that he's the future King of England. We're sure the decision on when to break the news to the little guy has been a topic of discussion in the Cambridge household for quite some time now.
Keeping the Important Things Private
Kate and Will share what they feel is necessary, but they are really good at keeping most of their personal lives private. Sure, their kids live in the spotlight, but their parents definitely do everything they can to shield the important things away from the public eye.
Speaking Out About Mental Health
Kate once wrote a blog post for HuffPost, in which she spoke out about mental health. She wrote, “We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness.”
Encouraging the Kids to Have Normal Aspirations
Sure, the Cambridge kids will always have royal titles, but Kate and Will still want their kiddos to grow up with "normal" and more real-world aspirations.
Taking Photos of the Kiddos
As we all know by now, Kate Middleton is quite the self-taught photographer. She's always snapping photos of the kiddos in their country home, and sometimes we're lucky enough to catch a glimpse of these pictures.
Teaching the Importance of Charity
Kate and Will kind of go above and beyond with their royal charity, so they are undoubtedly teaching their three kids to be just as charitable. There's nothing better than giving back, right?
Being Open About Motherhood
Unlike Queen Elizabeth, Kate has always been open about the joys and struggles of motherhood. In fact, she's spoken out about it publicly on several occasions, and we know we certainly haven't heard the last of this subject from the duchess.
Handling Public Tantrums
It's never easy when a kid decides to have a tantrum right in public, but it's especially hard when there's hundreds of cameras capturing every moment of the situation. Kate and Will, however, handle them with such grace and ease — it's truly inspiring.
Limiting Screen Time
Kate and Will do allow their kiddos to watch the ever-popular Peppa Pig, but the Cambridges aren't about to let George, Charlotte, and Louis live their lives in front of a screen.
Letting the Kids Be Involved
While the Cambridges want to protect their kids from the hounding paparazzi, that doesn't mean that they are shielding them from participating in all of the things that little kids would want to do. Sports? Absolutely. Having friends at school? You bet.
Knowing It's OK to Need Help
We know that Kate Middleton is basically supermom, and Prince William is superdad, but these two royal parents aren't afraid to admit when they need a little help. They have a team of nannies that help out when they need it, and you know what … that's perfectly OK.
Being Publicly Affectionate
Kate and William aren't afraid to hold their kids' hands or hug them in public, unlike many royal parents before them. There's absolutely nothing wrong with showing your kid a little affection, right?
Letting Them Misbehave ... Sometimes
While royal children are expected to behave properly out in public, Kate and Will still let their kids show their spunky personalities when attending family events. For example, we all remember Princess Charlotte sticking her tongue out at Meghan Markle's wedding, right? Sometimes you just have let your kids be kids.
Taking Time for Themselves
Date nights are just as important as family time! While we're sure Kate and Will don't get to have dates as often as they would like, they do take time to just be with each other, which is important for any married couple.
Teaching Family First
When it comes to being a royal, family always comes first. And with Kate and Will, their family comes before any royal responsibility that might come their way. We can only assume that the Cambridge kids will have the same attitude when they grow up.
Being Super Hands-On
The royals have a reputation of being very hands-off when it comes to parenting, but not that Cambridges. Yes, they have nannies that help out, but Kate and Will are definitely the ones doing the hard work.
Bringing the Kiddos Along on Trips
George and Charlotte don't go on every single royal tour with their parents, but they've definitely been on enough to be little traveling experts by now! Kate and Will have said that it's important for their kids to experience culture, so it makes sense that they would bring them along to different countries.
Emphasizing Being Outdoors
Kate specifically has always been the one to encourage her children to spend more time outdoors, and we're sure she has set up some pretty fun things for her kids to do at their countryside home.
Gender Roles Don't Really Matter
It's reported that both Prince George and Princess Charlotte attend dance lessons (with George being the one most enthusiastic about it). The two also apparently really love soccer, which makes sense given how much of a fan Prince William is.
