Even royalty isn’t spared from the ups and downs of parenting. On a recent visit to Vietnam, Prince William opened up on a news show about fatherhood, Vanity Fair reports.
He began by talking about how grateful he was to be parenting with Kate Middleton.
“Well, as the other parents in the room will testify, there’s wonderful highs and there’s wonderful lows,” he said with a chuckle. “It’s been quite a change for me, personally. I’m very lucky in the support I have from Catherine. She is an amazing mother and a fantastic wife.”
‘I’ve learned a lot about myself and about family just from having my own children’
Photo: Kensingtonroyal/Instagram
He then went on to talk about how he had to adjust from being an independent bachelor to his new life as a husband and father.
“But I’ve struggled at times, the alteration from being a single, independent man to going into marriage and then having children is life-changing,” he continued. “I adore my children very much and I’ve learned a lot about myself and about family, just from having my own children and it’s amazing how much you pick up from just in those moments.”
The prince described Prince George as “a right little rascal at times”.
“He keeps me on my toes,” the prince said. “But he’s a sweet boy.”
Raising Princess Charlotte has been an eye-opening experience for the prince, as he doesn’t have much experience having a girl in the family.
“Charlotte is, bearing in mind I’ve never had a sister, so having a daughter is a very different dynamic,” he explained. “So I’m learning about having a daughter and having a girl in the family.”
‘I would like my kids to grow up with more simple aspirations’
Photo: Kensingtonroyal/Instagram
Though William and his family have always been big on conservation, being a parent has made him focus on this cause even more. “I worry about the future more,” he continued. “When you have something or someone in your life to give the future to I think it focuses the mind more about what you’re giving them. Are you happy that you’ve done all you can to leave it in a good state?
“I would like [my kids] to grow up with more simple aspirations. I think there’s a lot of huge aspirations and people living with an enormous amount of stuff that they don’t necessarily need. The materialism of the world — I find quite tricky sometimes.
“I would like George and Charlotte to grow up being a little bit more simple in their approach and their outlook, and just looking after those around them and treating others as they would like to be treated themselves.”
If you want to raise non-materialistic children like Prince William and Kate Middleton, you have to be intentional about it. Here are tips from Psychology Today on curbing materialism in children:
1. Limit exposure to advertisements
Raising Children reports that young children, especially those younger than 5, are especially vulnerable to advertisements. Parents should do what they can to limit their exposure to ads. You can do this by pre-recording their favorite programs or buying DVDs instead.
2. Educate children about techniques used by advertisers
Parents can talk to older children about the strategies advertisers use to sell products. This teaches them that they can’t believe everything they see on TV.
Photo: Pixabay
3. Don’t place too much importance on material possessions
As Christian Personal Finance points out, if we want to raise non-materialistic children, we have to set the right example. If you go on regular shopping trips just for the sake of it, or always have to have the latest gadget, your child is probably picking up this love for material things from you.
4. Teach kids about other sources of happiness
Instead of focusing on giving your kids the things that they want, give them your time. Natural Papa says that if you make quality time together your priority, you’ll be able to raise non-materialistic children, no matter how much you earn.
READ: Royal Hand-Me-Downs: Princess Charlotte seen wearing Prince George’s old baby clothes