Prince and Princess of Wales along with their children.
The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton, who is a mother of three, has acknowledged that raising children in modern society can be difficult. The princess discussed early childhood development and mental health awareness in her speech about her new campaign, "Shaping Us."
In a new video released by the official YouTube channel of Prince and Princess of Wales, she spoke to radio host Roman Kemp about the early years of child development. She spoke about the financial challenges parents face globally as they balance caring for their children and "keeping a roof above their heads."
She said in the video, "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. 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."
In addition to the environment in which children are nurtured, "relationships in the family are so important". Ms Middleton continued, "The environment in which you bring up a child is as important, as whereas the experiences you engage them with. 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."
"Love goes a long way," she added. She also reinforced that understanding how to nurture children now will be a benefit in the long run.
The princess's "life's work" has been described as Shaping Us, a new initiative highlighting the importance of early childhood and the impact it can have on later life. "The way we develop, through our experiences, relationships, and surroundings during our early childhood, fundamentally shapes our whole lives," Ms Middleton said in a statement about the campaign.
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She added, "It affects everything from our ability to form relationships and thrive at work, to our mental and physical well-being as adults and the way we parent our own children."