Kate launches new campaign about importance of early childhood?

[AllOutofEverything]

I have been reading about how Kate is launching a new awareness raising campaign about the importance of early childhood.
I had thought she launched this years ago and since then we have had the survey with the 5 big questions, her visits to nurseries, and her meetings with Early Years experts. I can't see how this is any different from what was announced in the past?

Wow - Thanks for the lessons @upinaballoon

It's a chat forum, not a thesis. Maybe have a cup of tea and settle down.

😂

Thanks. A good article.

@AllOutofEverything

That's the crux of it. It's hardly in dispute that the early years of life are formative.

Seems you're wrong. I certainly wasn't aware about the importance of up to 5 until I had children and started reading about child development.

Really? I think most people know this and if this is the message from the campaign I can see why some people think she is not doing much.

Her message is just a rehash if Give me the boy til he is 5 and I will show you the man". Most people have heard this which in effect is what the importance of up to 5 is.

Under 5s are hugely under resourced and the bottom line is it is money that is needed to fund all these ideas that could make a difference. So if Kates campaign is going to raise money then all good. It can be used to provide staffing and high quality resources and more professionals who already know what the issues are as it's their vocation.

The fact she has smug Giovanni fletcher who thinks she's the only women to have ever given birth and irritating Fearne cotton endorsing it puts me off even more.

I enjoy this take on the programme; www.celebitchy.com/802690/princess_kates_early_years_awareness_campaign_slammed_by_credible_experts/

The question is, if anyone is genuinely unaware that raising small children formative and important to their development, is a crappy (and presumably funded by us) clay animation going to help change that? Is someone who gives their kids Lucozade in their bottles from birth and doesn't talk to their children at all going to see a rich woman in bespoke clothes talking vaguely about it and think, ah, I've been doing it wrong?

@BentleyRhythmAce I agree.
I remember a government campaign years ago that showed TV adverts of simple things parents could do to boost early years skills. Things like counting steps when you went up them with your toddler. That would make more sense as it was telling parents things they should be doing with their children. And they were all easily achievable small things.

But what I would have really liked was for Kate to do a Princes Trust for under fives. That would have been impressive.

The campaign has some very credible and influential partners.

Seconded. Some haters though seem to believe though that Meghan was a 'wrong un' from the get go and always planned to cleave Harry off come what may. I do believe that Kate was hugely threatened by the force of nature that is Meghan and it was her pretty much from the start that poisoned the relationship and here we are. It could have been the Fab4 new age new monarchy reboot where a rising tide lifts all ships rather then the dumpster fire it seems to have become.

I'm sure Charles (Camilla who knows ?) would have hugely welcomed his boy's team getting the Firm ready for the next iteration of the Windsors.

Great post, @vera99 I agree. I just think MM hit the RF like a whirlwind, and the old courtiers and aides could just not cope with her as a force. So what, she wore dark nail varnish, so what she sent emails at 5am, so what she opened a car door... I think the whole institution was just not ready for even minor changes. They didn't embrace her as different. She wasn't pliable like Diana or Kate, she had made her own money, she had always been in to social causes and she wanted to make a difference. I put blame for this on MM also... too much too fast, but the whole archaic institution moves at a snails pace and just does not do change and hasn't for decades.

I do think that if MM had come along after the Queen died, it might have been a whole different story. But K&W had to be on board with that, and I just don't think they were, and might never have been. I imagine they both treated Meghan with suspicion... american, actress, divorced, bi racial and full on. I know a lot of Americans and they really can be a different kettle of fish (and I don't mean that rudely, I love lots about them)

What a force the 4 of them could have been. The press fuelled any cracks, the RF allowed that to happen because they honestly thought she would give up all of this, go back to the US without Harry, and we would all forget the whole unsavoury incident. But no.

Just such a shame and such a lost opportunity for a modernising of the monarchy. If only the RF had spoken out like King Harald of Norway . He spoke to the whole population in very strong terms condemning the racism towards his black son in law by the press and social media. If the Queen had done that, I think the ridiculous and nasty headlines would've dwindled because everyone listened to the Queen! But the RF stuck their heads in the sand and hoped it would all go away. Well it did, and Harry went too!

The article and King Harald's statement is really worth a read. How different the handling of a difficult situation to our monarchy.

royalcentral.co.uk/europe/norway/king-harald-condemns-racism-towards-future-son-in-law-durek-verrett-183277/

'the force of nature that is Meghan'.

Don't get this. TBH, for her very, very short period as a working member of the RF (about 18 months including maternity leave) she seemed to do an awful lot of complaining. Nobody asking if she was ok (surely Harry's job to make sure she was ok), not being 'paid' for the visits and tours and ribbon cutting. Not being allowed to keep the freebies etc etc.

And you appear to think it's all Kate's fault. Whadda surprise.

@Roussette well said

'MM hit the RF like a whirlwind, and the old courtiers and aides could just not cope.'

Or, Meghan joined what is intrinsically an old family firm. Instead of spending some time getting to know how things are done, who the people are, what the duties are, then perhaps, after a time of reflection making a few suggestions as to how things could be done differently/better (and being willing to accept that as the new starter you may not have the insight), she came in, 'hit the ground running ' wanted to change everything, thought she could do it better than everyone else, wanted to be top dog, most popular girl in the class, and went about it totally the wrong way.

Culture clash may have played a part. I've lived all over the world, and moving to a new country, you don't try and make its populace cleave to your way if doing things.

Have you read my post @Coxspurplepippin obviously not

I said this... "I put blame for this on MM also... too much too fast"

Well if I hadn't read your post I wouldn't have been quoting it.......

OK. Fair enough. You just seemed to ignore the bit where I criticised Meghan for moving too fast.

often Just occasionally, several posters make the same or similar points on threads. Anyway, glad we agree on this point.

I do think MM moved very fast but she also delivered two successful projects in her time as a working royal - the Grenfell cookbook and Smartworks capsule wardrobe. The cookbook had a tangible benefit too - the women running the Hubb kitchen were able to refurbish it and open it everyday rather than just a few days a week.

Kate's early childhood work is admirable but after 10 years I'd expect something a bit more than just "raising awareness". She was patron of The Art Room, which has since closed, so it's a shame that her team couldn't use their considerable fundraising powers to try and raise the money for it to stay open.

I hadn't heard of that

Oops missed off a link. She did 1 or visits a year before seeming to give it up. She did Art History and it involved children and she was patron doesn't on the surface look like much of an effort.

katemiddletonreview.com/kates-patronages/art-room/

I just think MM hit the RF like a whirlwind, and the old courtiers and aides could just not cope with her as a force.

No, that's just the effect she has on you. 😄