Royals — they're just like us! They wrestle with tough family problems. They experiment with highlights. And they're vulnerable to the stress of parenthood. In fact, Kate Middleton opened up about her own new-mom struggles during a visit to Ely and Careau Children’s Centre in Cardiff, Wales this Wednesday.
"It’s nice to be back in Wales," Middleton said, according to People Magazine. Both the duchess and her husband, Prince William, had previously lived in Wales when he was stationed there during his time in the Royal Air Force. His position required extended time away from home and night shifts. Not ideal when you have a newborn.
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"It was the first year and I’d just had George — William was still working with search and rescue — and we came up here and I had a tiny, tiny baby in the middle of Anglesey. It was so isolated, so cut off," Middleton said. "I didn’t have any family around, and he was doing night shifts. So… if only I had had a centre like this."
The Ely and Careau Children’s Centre offers care, education, health, wellbeing, and development services for children and their parents, their website says. Places like these can be a crucial asset to people who need support while raising kids.
In a recent survey of new parents conducted by Refinery29, we heard a similar message to Middleton's. "If I had known how isolating those first few months at home with a newborn would be, I would have planned for it," Sandy, 43, said. "I would have reached out to other soon-to-be moms beforehand, so that I had those connections. I know you can join mommy groups after you have the baby, but I just felt so tired and not myself — not exactly in the best headspace to meet new people."
Middleton was at the centre to promote an early child development survey called "5 big questions under 5." The hope is that the results will help shed light on the experiences of both children and parents in this stage of life — something that could be a helpful resource for new parents in the future.
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