A Royal Recycling (part 280)

Kate Middleton warns how children are raised will impact ‘the society we will become’ and says nurturing healthy minds is ‘on par’ with other great social challenges in speech to mark the release of Early Years study

Kate has been driving force behind a study on perceptions of early childhood

Delivered speech today during an online forum hosted by The Royal Foundation

Called for early years to be on par with other great social challenges of our time

Mother-of-three, 38, went on to emphasise the long-term nature of this work 

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She comes across so knowledgable and confident, but in a humble way.  I think it’s the camera and camera crew and press that worries her more than speaking. She doesn’t struggle at all in this interview.  She did excellently. Some key moments that stood out for me, below.

MOM GUILT AND PARENTING LESSONS She said a “wise man” told her that the mom guilt she feels about leaving her children to go work is misguided. That it’s not solely her responsibility to take care of the children. That human are like pack animals and the more people there are taking responsibility of the child, the better it is for them. Because one human cannot have all good days, so if the primary caregiver is having a bad day, it is better for another person to care for the child while the primary caregiver takes time off the readjust. Because children need to be as happy as possible. (I assume the connection is that the adult having a bad day will not be able to care for the child in a happy mood or might take it out on the child, which will have an adverse effect.) 

She talks about midwives and their importance. The holocaust survivors and how talking to them reiterated that the things that matter are the simple things.  Such as looking into the fire on a cold, rainy day. Going out and trying to cook sausages in the rain. Going to the beach and filling your boots with water.  If she would write a letter to herself when she was pregnant with George, she’d tell herself that quality time with your child is more important than trying to do it all yourself and creating a stressful household.

They talk about having three kids (Giovanna has three boys ages 5,3 and 1). Kate says you can’t physically get three kids out of the car at the same time. She talks about how good care in the early years can save the govt a lot of money because ealry years trauma and difficulty can have consequences on a person’s entire adult life, which then has to be addressed and taken care of my the system.

HAVING GEORGE AND HYPNOBIRTHING

She said she would have done things differently during her pregnancy and during the early years of her experience as a mother, if she knew then, what she knows now. She said she was a lot more aware of that fact that the emotional wellbeing of the mother impacts the child in the womb) the third time around than she was the first time around. 

She was asked what her first pregnancy was like. She said she got bad morning sickness (and she gets it everytime), so she is not the happiest of pregnant people, but lots of people have it far, far worse. She said her being pregnant was a challenge (presumably the first time aorund), not just for her but for the people around her. “William didn’t feel like he could do much to help,” she says. “It’s hard for everyone to see you suffing without being able to do anything about it.” The inteviewer says, “It’s sucha  magical time, but you just feel rotten.” Kate continues, “I wasn’t eating the things I should have been eating, but yet, the body was able to take all the goodness from my body to grow a new life, which I think is fascinating.” 

“Am I right in thinking you did hypnobirthing?” asks the interviewer.  “Yes!” Kate says when she had hyperemesis was the first time she discovered the power of the mind over the body.  Giovanna (the interviewer) shares her own anecdote about hypo-birthing. Kate says there’s level of hypnobirthing. “William wasn’t standing there chanting sweet-nothings at me. He definitely wasn’t. I didn’t even ask him about it. But it was definitely something I wanted to do for myself.” She sad she saw the power of meditation and deep breathing that she learnt when she was sick with hyperemesis, and she appplied those learnings during labour. She also said she enjoyed labour because it was so bad during pregnancy, because it would end (the suffering). But she acknowledges that hypno-borthing isn’t for everyone. “No pregnancy is the same. No birth is the same.” 

Giavonna asks her what it was like to hold George in her arms. Kate says it was “amazing, extraordinary”. “He was very sweet,” she says. She was relieved that he was a happy boy. She said she didn’t know it would a boy, when Giavanna asked if she knew the sex of the child beforehand. She quickly changes the toppic and says, “But also seeing the joy on William’s face, and things like that...” 

“What’s it like knowing there are so many people waiting outside?” Giavanna presses on. “Slightly terrifying, I’m not gonna lie,” Kate replies. She said she had to compartmentalise. William and Kate were very aware of the interest and grateful for the support. They were very happy to share the joy with the public but equally, it was coupled with the uncertainty of being new parents, so there were mixed emotions. 

“How after you gave birth did you come out?” Giovanna asks. (By this time I’m sure this is not a rehearsed podcast and the questions weren’t predecided!) Kate says everything is a bit of a blur, and that they stayed in hospital overnight. There were thunderstorms at night so she didn’t sleep very well, but George did. She wanted to get home asap because she related being in hospital to being sick. 

Giavanna said William putting George in the car seat was seamless. Kate says “People didn’t think so at the time.” Then she gets a little flustered and I think she mentions that they tried to practice with a baby doll. (William had also mentioned at the time, that he had practiced. Let me know if you can get exactly what she said about the doll and practice.) They were confused as to how to do that with a swaddled baby, and it was hard to do that on the world stage. She says it “wasn’t quiet our household” when she got home. William said, “Is this what it’s going to be like?” 

KATE’S HOPE FOR HER KIDS

When asked what she wants for her children and their early years experience, Kate says:  - quality of relationships (she talks her her granny who did cooking, gardening and art-and-crafts with them), - creating a quality environment (happy home and playing outside), - not letting the distractions of everyday life get in the way of quality time (She - talks about a photo of Charlotte smelling a bluebell. She say she tries to create moments like that everyday, even if she doesn’t have time.)

THOUGHTS ON MOTHERHOOD

They end the podcast with Giovanna starting three sentences, and Kate ending them. Giovanna: “Being a mother is....” Kate: “compromise” Giovanna: “Since being a mum I..compromise?.” Kate: “Compromise yeah...” Giovanna: “Sleepless..” Kate: “Sleepless, yeah. That is a reality. (pause) I have found a new enjoyment out of life. ” Giovann: “I’m happy when.” Kate: “I’m with my family out in the countryside, and we’re all filthy, dirty.”