To wonder how the Cambridge children are so beautifully behaved?

[surreysarah]

They sat through the Christmas carol concert so perfectly, and are just so incredibly well behaved when on public outings. They seem delightful and are always so well turned out. As a mum myself, I can’t help wondering - what is Kate and William’s secret? Kudos to the both of them, because they always seem to keep the children in check, but they do it in such a lovely and understated way. They are clearly both naturals with children, because there is no way my unruly brood would be that well behaved at a carol concert. Parenting goals and then some!

The oldest are 9 & 7. Surely most children would be capable of sitting through a church service etc at that age? I was at boarding school and we all went to church every Sunday. To have misbehaved was unthinkable. I was 9 when I first went.

It's not "training" it's just what their normal is. Eg, I am a walker and my kids have come with me from a young age. I can't count how many times friends/family have expressed surprise at how far my children would walk without complaint, from about four onwards.

I'm pretty sure most parents would be able to keep their Mary Poppins air firmly in place for the odd occasion you trot the dc out for public viewing, when the rest of your life is so carefree

I’m not much of a royalist as it goes, but gosh, this is mean. It’s not a carefree life for those kids. They don’t get to go to birthday parties or play dates without clearance or security. They can’t have sleepovers or random meets in the park and whilst their school mates are doing this stuff, they have to go to formal engagements. Would you swap your DC’s lives for theirs? I sure as hell wouldn’t.

I think it's normal that they can sit through a carol concert nicely and know how to behave in public, they are old enough to understand how to behave. My DC were also capable at the same ages, and other children I know. In fact any school age child will be used to sitting for assembly and church services.

They're the Wales children now.

(I know, I know, completely pointless post on my part)

1. They are not toddlers. My 6 year old can sit through at least an hour long concert and he’s not an angel. George is almost in secondary school. It’s also once in a while.
2. Having a nanny is not a crime. There is zero evidence there is an army of tutors- both kids go to full time school anyway. And have had the same nanny since George was a baby. Some of the speculation on this thread is absurd.
3. Even Charlotte has had her moments. Remember she stuck her tongue out at the camera and had a spectacular tantrum on the tarmac in Australia or somewhere. And Kate got down to her level and had some pretty stern words with her.

Kate is regularly seen in Kensington Gardens with her children on their bikes. Also both parents regularly do the school run. This is a silly claim.

See I hate this aspect of the royals. The poor kids are trained

@TrimTheTree
Seriously? Aren't most kids the same age as George and Charlotte perfectly capable of behaving well through a Carol concert?

This surely isn't such a big ask. I find it more disturbing that some parents think that what should be excepted behaviour for a child that age is something to be commented on.

OP didn't say how old her DC are. But if they are a comparable age and really couldn't behave at a Carol concert then sorry but I will judge.

It does make me wonder what the reaction would be if a royal child had a hidden disability like autism (especially high functioning.)

Access to ongoing support would probably still make a huge difference.

@edwinbear i don’t know. I sometimes wonder this - I personally wouldn’t want to be a Royal (although I wouldn’t mind Kate’s figure!) but there must be something in it, or they would step away from it … I quite fancy a Norland nanny. Although my two year old was very sweet today

Charlotte is very pretty.

I think reporters and photographers pull faces at the children and stick their tongues out to try to get them to retaliate sometimes.

They drug them.

I have some very religious relations, and their children are very similar in that they have been trained (indoctrinated) from a very early age to be compliant, quiet and sit through long (and dull for a child) services. I'm pretty sure people in their church would be surprised to see how they can behave at home.

This

Absolutely agree.

It is how they are brought up. My siblings and I were similar at those ages and so were their children. It is all about instilling what is appropriate behaviour in different circumstances,
For example, when we asked my 5 year old niece to be one of our bridesmaids she wrote back to accept and added that she " knew how to behave in Church".

@Getinajollymood I’d take her figure (although that’s surely hard won like the rest of us!), her wardrobe, the diamonds, the best tickets to everything. For a year. Then I reckon I’d be truly fed up and desperate for my normal life. 😀

Lot to be said also for the fact that they will spend a lot of time with nannies, therefore wanting to behave when with mama and papa

I think there should be an experiment where we see!

Also, can you imagine if William or Kate lost their rag with their kids at a public event?

It'd never happen. Never. They have been trained to not lose their temper in public, or show certain emotions

I don't know, but I'm envious. I'm the youngest of 6 children and we were all very much like this, our parents were constantly complimented on our behaviour, attention, manners, conversation etc. my folks just said it was because we were taught to be interested, each learned from colder siblings etc. I presumed then that it's not that hard - then I had my own hyperactive children that just will not sit still! We can't go anywhere!

I’m not much of a royalist as it goes, but gosh, this is mean. It’s not a carefree life for those kids

@edwinbear my post wasn't meant in a mean way towards the children. My mention of it being easy to keep the Mary Poppins air in place was aimed at W&K as the op said something about them parenting in an understanding and understated way.

So from a parents perspective - yes when you have unlimited money, easy jobs, numerous staff to do all the unpleasant bits of life AND parenting - I'd imagine it is easy to be Mary Poppins-like with the dc when out in public. W&Ks simpering smiles and wholesome parenting is a reflection of their piss easy lives afforded by the public purse, not a testament to their superior parenting.

And no, I'd not switch my dcs lives for theirs for anything.

Children who attend church have always been able to sit through a service and behave impeccably. I did. As did my children. I don’t attend very often anymore but at 3/4 my children could sit for an hour.

I took all of mine to Mass every week from age 1 week. They all got used to the expectation of being quiet for an hour and ten minutes, not climbing on the pews or kicking the seat in front of them, etc. We sat near the front sonthey could see what was happening at the altar. They were able to understand that not every place we went to was geared to the exercise of gross motor skills or vocal chords. We went out to restaurants too, within reason. If service was slow then we didn't return. There was a cry room in the church and if there were signs of patience running thin I took the simmering volcano there for a bit.

YABU. They may sometimes be beautifully behaved, but to imagine that they’re always like this is just setting them up for failure in the future. But then that’s exactly what our media does, isn’t it? Sets people up only to slay them down once they put a toe out of place.

If you knew from the moment you conceived your child that they eventually have to sit quietly through long events with tv cameras pointed at them , you would “train” them, ie help them practise that skill, or ensure someone else was doing so, from the earliest teachable moments. We all train our children to a certain extent - crossing the road, lighting matches, boiling the kettle, buying goods in a shop. This builds over time, we aren’t suddenly amazed that our 10 year olds can buy some groceries having never counted money or stepped inside a shop before.

My DD is the same age as George and definitely could sit through a carol concert she might complain a bit afterwards. They aren't toddlers.