Earlier this year in March, the Royal Family held a memorial service for the late Prince Philip, who died in April of the previous year at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kate could be seen telling her daughter, Princess Charlotte, to be quiet and used a “shh” sign with her index finger over her mouth.
Parenting expert and founder of Raising Remarkable Teenagers, Angela Karanja, spoke to Express.co.uk to explain the great parenting skills the Princess used at that moment.
She said: “I think what’s even more important is that Kate did not just correct, i.e. telling Charlotte to ‘shh’ and be quiet at that pivotal moment, but she took time to connect!
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“Throughout the event, especially notably at the beginning, there were several moments of connection.
“For example, at the beginning when young Charlotte appears nervous, Kate leans over and whispers something that evidently cheers her up.”
The expert said this is a “powerful” tool when it comes to parenting and explained why.
Angela continued: “We notice a lot of connection before correction – which is a powerful and positive parenting skill that I encourage a lot with parents.
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“When we correct our young children after we’ve connected this doesn’t feel like an attack on their being.
“This is because they already know you’ve got them, you love them but you are now addressing behaviour that is inappropriate and needs to stop.”
According to Angela, the Princess does not use “anger” when she scolds her children, but rather acts appropriately as she can on a public stage.
She added: “Also, we don’t see Kate telling Charlotte off angrily. She does the correcting so matter of factly and swiftly, and as contained and concealed as she could in that public place.
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“Sometimes some behaviour needs to be addressed immediately, but it doesn’t need to turn nasty or embarrassing. Just a firm gesture is enough.”
According to Angela, the possibility of Kate discussing Charlotte’s behaviour afterwards was strong and “important” to do.
She claimed: “I’m not sure if they talked about the situation afterwards but I usually advise parents on the importance of processing such experiences with children.
“This is because sometimes as much as we think we’ve done well as parents, children can make up crazy stories and retain this as hurtful memories and this is how trauma is stored in the body to later rear its ugly head in all sorts of ways.”
Kimberley Wiltshire, a primary school teacher and owner of Catkin Toys also spoke to Express.co.uk about Kate’s positive parenting skills. She said: “If you’ve ever seen a photograph of Kate speaking to one of her children, you will notice that she is almost always crouched down and speaking at eye level with her child.
“This is often referred to as ‘active listening’ and is an effective parenting strategy you could introduce today to make your parenting journey easier while building a better relationship with your child in the process!
“Being on your child’s level makes them more inclined to listen to what you are saying as they can easily make eye contact and hear your words clearly. Furthermore, it allows your child to feel more in control and sends a clear message that you are prepared to listen and engage with them, too.
“It also helps avoid feelings of frustration as you are much more likely to speak in a quiet and calm manner without emotions spilling over for both you or your child. So next time those toys need tidying away or it’s time to leave the play area, why not try crouching down to their level and giving active listening a try!”
