There's no denying that becoming a parent for the very first time isn't easy – from the round-the-clock feeds to nappy explosions at the worst! possible! time! It may come as some consolation then, to learn that even Kate Middleton didn't know it all before becoming a mother back in 2013, when she welcomed Prince George.
Earlier this week, during a visit to a "Parents University" centre – which runs courses for expectant parents and those with newborn babies – in London, the Duchess of Cambridge opened up about what she wishes she'd known before embarking on her own parenthood journey.
Meeting with new mums at the centre's weekly MumSpace group, where she learned about the importance of the early years, including brain and language development and play, Kate said: "As a new mum I would have liked that. I think I would have learned a lot. The importance of play.”
She continued, "What’s so fantastic is seeing the amazing work that’s going on here. That support you’re providing is amazing. The science backs it up."
Kate, who is now mum to eight-year-old Prince George, six-year-old Princess Charlotte and three-year-old Prince Louis, has made no secret of her love of children. In fact, this week she's taking on her first TV presenting role as part of Children's Mental Health Week (7 February to 13 February).
Her TV presenting debut will be this Sunday, on Cbeebies' Bedtime Story series, and will see her follow in the footsteps of famous faces including Reese Witherspoon and Regé-Jean Page. For her appearance on the show, the Duchess has chosen to read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson, to align with this year's theme of 'Growing Together'. As part of the theme, both children and their parents are being encouraged to consider how they have grown emotionally, as well as to try new things that can take them beyond their comfort zone.
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Speaking about the Duchess' upcoming stint on Cbeebies, Patricia Hidalgo, Director of BBC Children’s and Education, said: "I couldn’t be more proud to have the Duchess read a CBeebies Bedtime Story as we mark the 20th anniversary of our CBeebies and CBBC channels. It’s such a special and relevant tale and perfectly represents this year's Children's Mental Health Week theme. I can’t wait to see her deliver her own take on such a classic story and I’m sure our audience can’t either."
The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark read by The Duchess of Cambridge will air at 6:50pm on Sunday 13 February.
