Prince William and Kate Middleton Use This Parenting Trick So Their Kids Feel Empowered
Everybody wants to be the best parents they can possibly be, but with so much information, tactics, and techniques being talked about it can be hard to tell which ones are really worth implementing. But Prince William and Kate Middleton have been repeatedly seen practicing one technique worth being picked up by all parents. But just what is this amazing parenting trick, and what are the benefits of using it?
Getting down to the child’s level
When you see Prince William and Kate Middleton talk with their children (or any child), you will see that they always squat down so they are at eye-level with the children. This is the way they decide to converse with, or even admonish, their children instead of looking down at them as many adults tend to do.
This simple adjustment in body tone and stature during a conversation with a child can have an incredible amount of benefits, so it isn’t any wonder why the prince and his wife have chosen to use it. But just what benefits does getting down to a child’s level have?
They feel safer and more comfortable
When you crouch down, you are also positioning yourself closer to the child. This closer positioning makes the child feel instantly safer, especially when the adult is a parent or other caregiver.
When they feel safer, the child also feels more comfortable. This helps them to open up about what they are feeling, which (as all parents know) can be very intense feelings indeed! Speaking verbally about those feelings can help avoid temper tantrums and other angry outbursts.
The child knows they are actively being listened to
Child development expert, Gill Connell, writes about the importance of active listening in his book A Moving Child is A Learning Child. According to Connell, “Active listening is one of the most important ways you can send the message, ‘You’re important to me.’ Get down on the child’s level, lean in and make eye contact.”
It is such a simple thing to crouch down, but it can make a huge difference in the way the child perceives both themselves and the adults most important in their lives. Showing a child they are important will help them grow into self confident, capable adults.
The child feels more confident
It wraps up in other benefits, but it deserves being said that getting down to a child’s level helps them feel confident. This goes further than the confidence to express themselves. This confidence can transfer into other parts of their lives, allowing them to be more adventurous and even more creative.
Other celebrities who use this technique
Prince William and Kate Middleton are not the only celebrities who use this parenting technique. Although they are still waiting on the birth of their first child, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle used this technique on the children who came to see them during their Australian tour. Watching them interact with their smallest fans in this way makes us certain they will do the same with their first (and future) children.
Another celebrity who recently began using this technique is actress Anne Hathaway, who is best known for her roles in The Princess Diaries. Hathaway is mother to a 2.5 year old son, and when she saw the prince and his wife getting down to the level of their children she wanted to do the same with her son.
Hathaway said, “They get down on the child’s level and speak to them eye to eye to make their child feel empowered. I thought that was really cool. I started doing that with Jonathan.”
