To be annoyed by the Duchess of Cambridge's claim that home schooling is 'exhausting'

[Livingtothefull]

www.edp24.co.uk/news/kate-middleton-video-call-parents-homeschooling-challenges-pandemic-7080128

I accept that lockdown has had an impact on everyone to some extent, however privileged. But I can't help being irritated by this. Even if we accept that she is doing the home schooling herself without any help, I don't think there is any comparison between her situation and that of many other people. I am not saying lockdown isn't difficult for her.....but it is a million times harder if you are say a single parent, struggling with home schooling and a minimum wage job which you may lose any time, worried sick about your and DC future if this happens. And doing it in a poky flat instead of a vast country estate.

And I know she may be trying to show empathy with the rest of us. But TBH I would have much more respect for the royals if they would just acknowledge their privilege rather than claim common ground which just isn't there.

She did say in another interview she was fortunate because their nanny looks after the youngest whilst she homeschools the other two and whilst they had a laptop each for the children which many families do not, their internet wasn't the fastest! No idea how many staff they have currently but in the first lockdown they said they didn't have people coming into the house except their live in nanny, she even joked about her bad cooking and everyone getting fed up with it. I don't think they live day to day as grandly as many think. One remark was that she cut the kids hair, they normally have a visiting hairdresser but it's banned.

Of course the wealthy have it far easier, but they are still locked down, and probably feeling fed up and stressed too, well the ones who haven't escaped to warmer climes. The irony is that unlike us who can be free when this is over, they still will remain unable to freely move about.

Tellingly the other parents, who actually parent, said less look at me things
Kate and Willie need to stop the pretence they are just like you and me
It is absolutely cringeworthy

If you are well off, as I am, I don’t pretend my experiences are the same as some of my other friends.
My xhusband has the kids sometimes and I get time alone to do what I want. They’re at schools with good zoom classes and they have private zoom tutors
I’ve been able to work alone in my study for half the day and I catch up in the evening.
I have food delivered from Sainsbos
I still have a cleaner come once a week
We have a big house and garden
I would say home schooling has been ‘tricky’ or ‘a juggle’ or ‘confusing’ which if she had said no one would have cared
I have friends who I have no idea how they cope. She should be embarrassed as should anyone who thinks her answer makes any sense.

She is not exhausted by her kids. It is a huge reach for ordinary people to project our experiences, unless we too are gentry or billionaires, onto Kate and Willie
It is another ‘ look at how normal we are, we’re just like you’ shit try at magic. HMQ and PP kept the RF going by dedicated hard work, grimly getting up and grafting. Princess Anne is the same.
This lot are grifters

I don't feel the slightest bit embarrassed for understanding her answer, though I agree the responses you give would probably have been better received. I also appreciate it was also given in the moment.

I also don't know how much they parent, but think they probably do actually parent more than you think.

Hear hear to your last sentence @RonaldMcDonald

There's literally not a word in the English language and could have used without someone being offended.
It's not difficult when you have a Nanny and cleaner to do all the hard work
It isn't challenging when all you do is sit on zoom for 5 minutes then make the Nanny do it all
It isn't anything positive because that's rubbing people's faces in it

Maybe an adjustment? Even that would have resulted in comments about an adjustment actually having to work or see the children

It is another ‘ look at how normal we are, we’re just like you’ shit try at magic. HMQ and PP kept the RF going by dedicated hard work, grimly getting up and grafting. Princess Anne is the same. This lot are grifters

^This.

I've never seen stats suggesting so much support for the royals outside Royal Wedding type times (which those yougov stats represent). Popularity has always been higher in the older age groups but a lot of the popularity is tied to the queen and harder working older royals.

Diana was the only younger royal to get close to topping the popularity list. For the others age has reduced popularity unless they demonstrate grafting rather than grifting. Airmiles Andy, other royal philanderers and the whole Harry/Meghan debacle has knocked popularity despite the relative hands off approach adopted for the royals by comparison with regular rich celebs.

The silver spoon set pretending they are "one of us" has never been a good tactic. W&K seem not to have learned this.

Since when did having one nanny to help look after three young children mean you don’t parent?

I’m going to say YABU because I’m fed up of competitive lockdown behaviour. If someone finds it exhausting who is in a different situation, then it doesn’t mean someone else whose situation is miles apart can’t also be exhausted.

Ah.....Kate v Meghan

How very refreshing

Yes it would have been pulled if it was about MM, for sure. Even the threads where the vast majority are defending her against a few nasty posters seem to mysteriously vanish into the internet black hole.

I did read that Meghan and Archie are not coming back for a visit with Prince Harry and the daily Mail were all ' when will Archie meet his British cousins' ? Or some such nonsense. Can you imagine if they did all come back for a visit? The uproar that it's still lockdown yet they can ' jet about' etc etc?
I didn't read the article just the headline, but it's true that they can't win either.
Kate does try to be ' ordinary mum' sometimes but it doesn't wash as people know they can afford nannies and tutors and the children have acres of land to play in etc etc.
Maybe if she had said ' I know it's very hard for people' but left out the ' hard for me ' bit! I don't dislike those two but reading the room is also important.

My mum was 14 when WW2 was declared and she used to roll her eyes at the Royals trying to say how much they empathized with the Londoners! They would have been flown out of London at the first hint of any invasion if that had happened at all!

@JaneNorman

Since when did having one nanny to help look after three young children mean you don’t parent?

Like a pp upthread, she could certainly have said it was 'tricky' or 'confusing' or 'gave her an even greater appreciation for teachers'.

I've got friends with kids at schools like her kids' ones. They have full zoom schedules for every class (or half days at least for reception) so your role is more like TA than teacher. Most have private Zoom tutors too. She has huge grounds, that she doesn't have to look after. Neither she nor her husband are having to do a lot of work through lockdown. She has a nanny for the youngest.

So no, she actually doesn't have the right to say 'exhausted'.

I've never seen stats suggesting so much support for the royals outside Royal Wedding type times (which those yougov stats represent).

Stats from 2020 are slightly down but almost 2/3 of the population still support for the monarchy.

yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/survey-results/daily/2020/02/18/8b405/1

There was a woman in TV the other day, homeschooling her 2 DC in a two bedroom high rise flat. She showed her balcony and said yea, it was though for people who don't have a garden, but aime people don't even have a balcony like her and she feels really lucky.

@JaneNorman

Since when did having one nanny to help look after three young children mean you don’t parent?

It doesn't but there are 3 children and 3 adults. That's a hell of a lot easier than one parent doing all the homeschooling and trying to work full time.

Posted too soon.

The DofC needs to be a bit more like her. Yes it's tough, but I'm very lucky and i appreciate there are people struggling much more than me, type of thing

I have a more wild theory

I believe Willie to be unpleasant.
I think Kate tries to be a projection of whatever he says he wants when he says he wants it - (she thinks she is fixing or saving him by loving/being perfect - to smooth things out for him mood wise)
He then changes his mind - placing the blame for any negative commentary or his malcontent endlessly on her
He is probably quite clear with her when she displeases him or comes up short

I believe you can tell by her rambling say nothing sound bites

“As parents, we have day-to-day elements of being a parent, but, I suppose, during lockdown we’ve had to take on additional roles that others in our community and lives would have helped us with.”

She is a nervous wreck trying to be a perfect whatever he wants and may well be exhausted.
She seems paper thin personality wise because she allows herself to be so rarely herself whilst pursuing his perfect Princess ideal
Before you all say it - she can’t really just leave

Or she’s tone deaf and clueless. I prefer my imagined reality although it is much more unhappy.

I don’t think that theory is wild at all.

@RonaldMcDonald I too have a theory. I have a theory that you are a deeply unpleasant person. I know nothing about you, I’ve never met you, but your words have given me a small glimpse into your personality so I’m going to just fill in the blanks in a way that suits my agenda.

Do you see what I did there?

'Stats from 2020 are slightly down but almost 2/3 of the population still support for the monarchy'.

That can change very quickly, however much they seem to be riding high now a string of PR gaffes and blunders can turn people against them very fast. Btw Marie Antoinette was hugely popular at first, tremendous crowds greeting her at her first public appearances. And look where that got her after years of public hardship, PR gaffes and bad publicity.

It should be supporters of the monarchy above all who need to be conscious of these risks in order for the RF to hold onto their popularity; so I just don't get the unquestioning support that they get from some people.

@JaneNorman you could very well be right
See what I did there

This is so bitchy. To all the bitches, SHE WAS ASKED FOR ONE WORD.

What ONE WORD should she have given?
To PPs who said better to say nothing, that’s ridiculous. You can’t be asked for ONE WORD and sit there smugly refusing to answer.

Jane Norman , yes we can see what you did.
Do you not have instincts about people ? Never act on a hunch ?