Prince William and Kate Middleton are known for being great parents. Even as royals, these two have made some seriously relatable quotes about what it's like to have children. With three tots under the age of 7, their household is most likely a wild one. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have tried to raise their children in a loving and stable home. While most kids don't have to deal with paparazzi or royal etiquette, it seems as though Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis are normal and happy kids. Many parents will be able to empathize with what Kate and William have gone through, even though their lifestyles are wildly different. From struggles with sleeping patterns to dinner table disputes, these parents have seen it all.
William and Kate are outspoken about their parenting journey, and provide relatable anecdotes to their fans. Even though they are royalty, they go through similar experiences that most everyday families do. The royal couple are diligent proponents for mental health help, and the two have spoken out about emotional expression — along with the importance of teaching children about their feelings from an early age. Plus, Kate has been an advocate for children and giving every child a happy and healthy home to grow up in. The Duchess of Cambridge believes in the importance of early childhood development, and even created a survey to better understand how it affects people later in life.
Kate Middleton has also revealed some of her own childhood experiences, implementing some of her own parents' teachings in her mothering philosophy. Luckily, she grew up in a relatively average family, so she is able to bring that into her children's experiences. Prince William, on the other hand, has gone through some major life changes, but has managed to be a well-rounded and present father.
Regardless of the upbringing, these two know are pretty relatable for royals on the parenting front and have inspired us with their words.
Sleepless Nights
Prince William made a speech to the New Zealand diplomats at a state reception. During their time touring Australia and New Zealand, Prince William revealed that a then-8-month-old Prince George was having trouble sleeping at night. The Duke of Cambridge joked among the crowd of dignitaries about his sleep deprivation.
"I hope that George doesn't keep you up. He's at his most vocal at 3 a.m., as you may have noticed — I swear I heard him doing the haka this morning!" he admitted.
Relatable.
Encouraging Kids to 'Speak Out'
Kate Middleton opened up about mental health and allowing children to express themselves in an interview with the HuffPost UK. In the February 2016 article, the duchess made it clear that her children would be supported in their mental health journeys.
"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," the duchess said. "We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness."
These parents are raising their children to be open and honest about their feelings, which is so important in times like these.
The 'Life-Changing' Reality of Having Kids
Prince William explained how his life had changed since getting married and having children on a Vietnamese talk show, Talk Vietnam, in 2016. William spoke about fatherhood and shared that he, too, struggles with parenting sometimes. Plus, he shared how much having children changed him for the better.
"There's wonderful highs and there's wonderful lows. It's been quite a change for me personally. I'm very lucky in the support I have from Catherine. She's an amazing mother and a fantastic wife. But, I've struggled at times," William confessed. "The alteration from being a single, independent man to going into marriage and then having children is life-changing. I adore my children very much and I've learned a lot about myself and family just from having my own children."
Teaching Kindness
While attending "The Big Assembly" at Mitchell Brook Primary School in north London in 2017, Kate shared her important values. Kate believes that teaching values is just as important as other school lessons.
"My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect, and honesty, and I realize how central values like these have been to me throughout my life," she mentioned during the appearance. That is why William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte, just how important these things are as they grow up."
At the assembly, Kate also shared her belief that is important to give children the best start in life.
Experiencing Childbirth
Kate gushed on the podcast Happy Mum, Happy Baby about her firstborn, Prince George, and how "utterly extraordinary" it was to give birth. In the February 2020 interview, she opened up more than ever before about motherhood and the special moments she's had with each of her three children.
"It is extraordinary, as I've said, 'How can the human body do that?' It is utterly extraordinary, actually … And he was very sweet. And I was also sort of relieved that he was a happy, healthy boy," the duchess revealed.
Letting Kids Be Silly
During an outing in London in 2018, the Duchess of Cambridge explained to a member at St Luke's Community Centre that her two little ones loved to cook and get messy. "I've done that with George and Charlotte — making pizza dough. They love it because they can get their hands messy," she noted.
The duchess may have three royal babes, but there is plenty of time for laughs and fun. In 2019, Princess Charlotte showed paparazzi her cheeky side and stuck out her tongue at the King's Cup regatta. Instead of scolding her then 4-year-old, Kate laughed off the exchange, because not everything has to be serious all the time.
Letting the Kids Play Outside
Kate has been outspoken about the importance of playing outside and getting kids off of their screens. In the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast episode, she shared her own experiences with playing outside as a child.
"As children, we spent a lot of time outside, and it's something I'm really passionate about. I think it's so great for physical and mental well-being and laying foundations," she revealed. "It's such a great environment to spend time in, building those quality relationships without the distractions of 'I've got to cook' and 'I've got to do this.' And actually, it's so simple."
Kate's favorite photo of Princess Charlotte is the one they shared to their Instagram where she is sniffing a flower in their gardens. "I've got this one photo of Charlotte smelling a bluebell, and really for me it's moments like that mean so much to me as a parent," she said in the podcast.
Spending Quality Time With the Kids
During the same podcast episode, Kate was candid about how she wants her children to remember their childhoods. Taking in the little moments and not sweating the small stuff was the Duchess of Cambridge's advice. Even living a lavish and abnormal lifestyle, Kate wants her kids to feel like they had a full and normal childhood.
Kate said:
"Someone did ask me the other day, what would you want your children to remember about their childhood? And I thought that was a really good question, because actually if you really think about that, is it that I'm sitting down trying to do their math and spelling homework over the weekend? Or is it the fact that we've gone out and lit a bonfire and sat around trying to cook sausages that hasn't worked because it's too wet?
That's what I would want them to remember, those moments with me as a mother, but also the family going to the beach, getting soaking wet, filling our boots full of water, those are what I would want them to remember. Not a stressful household where you're trying to do everything and not really succeeding at one thing."
Raising a Daughter
"George is a right little rascal sometimes," Prince William said in his interview with Talk Vietnam. "He keeps me on my toes, but he's a sweet boy. Having a daughter is a very different dynamic. So I'm learning about having a girl in the family."
Prince William added that having a little girl is very different than raising a boy. Prince William said George reminded him of his brother, Harry, when they were growing up. As Prince William didn't grow up with sisters, having Charlotte is a totally different experience than he had as a child.
Having Support as a Mother
Kate delivered a speech at the premiere of the Out of the Blue film series in 2017, speaking about the importance of supporting mothers. Kate has had the support of family and a doting husband, plus royal nannies and staff. But, she explained many mothers don't have those luxuries.
"Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge- even for me who has support at home that most mothers do not," said the royal mom.
Kate Middleton added:
"Mothers take on an overwhelming responsibility of caring for their families. Their role is vital in providing unconditional love, care, and support at home, particularly in the early years of a child's development. We therefore should do everything we can to support and value their hard work."
Coping With Three Children
Prince William has always been forthright about his sleep deprivation as a parent. At the Centrepoint Awards at Kensington Palace in February 2018, he joked with guests about adding a third child to his brood. Having three kids is so different from two.
"Our third child is due in April, I'm getting as much sleep as I can … Two is fine — I don't know how I'm going to cope with three. I'm going to be permanently tired," William once said.
Feeling Mom Guilt
Kate dished on the podcast episode that she absolutely has moments of mommy guilt.The duchess said she feels bad for leaving her children alone or with nannies, as many moms do. However, Kate still has work to do, and no mom should feel bad about living her life and still being an amazing mother.
"Anyone who doesn't as a mother is actually lying! Yep, all the time. You know, even this morning … George and Charlotte were like, 'Mummy, how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?'" Kate said.
Learning the Basics
Just before Prince George's public debut, William and Kate spilled their parenting secrets. "We were like, 'What do we do [with the baby] in a swaddle? How's this supposed to work?' We'd even tried to practice with … a little doll at home, but you know, it just never works out the way you planned it, so it was quite hard to do that on the world's stage," the Cambridges noted.
Judging by how happy the royal kiddos look, we think it's safe to say Will and Kate have things down.
The Struggle With Dinnertime
Prince William shared just how relatable his experience with fatherhood is when talking with community chef, Charlie Farrally at the PEEK Project — specifically, around dinnertime, sometimes things can get out of hand. William revealed that even his three angels aren't always pleasant when served food they don't like.
"If the parents put on something that the children love, dinner time goes very well. But if you put something on the table they don't want to do, that's another ball game,'' he revealed.
On Feeling Isolated at Times
"It is lonely at times. You do feel quite isolated … But actually, so many other mothers are going through exactly what you're going through. But it's being brave enough, like you obviously were, to reach out."
Kate opened up about feeling lonely during her early days as a mother in 2017 at an event at the Global Academy in London. She spoke about her isolation again at the opening of a new children and parents center in Wales in early 2020.
"I was chatting to some of the mums. It was the first year and I'd just had George — William was still working with search and rescue — and we came up here and I had a tiny, tiny baby in the middle of Anglesey. It was so isolated, so cut off. I didn't have any family around, and he was doing night shifts. So … if only I had had a center like this."
