The Duchess of Cambridge has urged fellow parents to encourage children to be ‘open about their feelings’ as she stars in a new mental health charity campaign.
Pregnant Kate, who has been forced to take a break from public duties due to morning sickness, today launched the ‘You’re never too young to talk mental health’ campaign by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families.
The campaign, which aims to promote mental health awareness in schools, includes a video introduction from Kate, which she recorded on a visit to the Child Bereavement UK Centre in East London in January this year.
Donning a £1,600 Eponine blue coat, the Duchess adopts a somber tone as she encourages people to speak out when they have feeling that are ‘too big to manage on our own’.
The Duchess of Cambridge has said that parents should encourage children to be open about their feelings in a candid video message she recorded for a new charity campaign
Discussing the campaign, Kate, who is soon-to-be a mother-of-three, said: ‘As parents, we all want our children to have the best possible start in life.
‘Encouraging children to understand and be open about their feelings can give them the skills to cope with the ups and downs that life will throw at them as they grow up.
‘It’s important that our children understand that emotions are normal, and that they have the confidence to ask for help if they are struggling. This is why I am proud to support the ‘You’re never too young to talk mental health’ campaign by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, which is being rolled out across primary schools this autumn.
‘The campaign’s resources are excellent tools to support parents. They demonstrate how we can help children express their feelings, respond appropriately, and prevent small problems from snowballing into bigger ones.’
The campaign kicks off with an animation co-produced by children and teachers, which is accompanied by free teaching materials designed to help children learn the life-long skills to help them talk about ‘big’ and ‘small’ feelings, and how to listen to their friends when they need to talk.
Pregnant Kate, pictured with her children and husband in Berlin earlier this year, launched the ‘You’re never too young to talk mental health’ campaign by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families
A leaflet to help parents and carers start conversations with their children about mental health is also published today.
Every primary school in the England will receive a downloadable teaching resource pack this week including assembly and lesson plans to enable them to use the animation in school for World Mental Health Day.
Discussing the campaign, Professor Peter Fonagy, Chief Executive of AFNCFC said: ‘One of the most effective things we can do is to give children the language they need to discuss mental health and encourage them to have open conversations at home and at school.
‘Helping children identify problems that they or their friends are having is the first step towards resolving those problems. And if we can help children who are struggling with their feelings or experiences, they will be happier and perform better at school.
‘We have identified 9-11 year olds because they are at a crucial point in their lives when they are preparing for transition to secondary school and on the cusp of adolescence. With the backing of schools and parents together we can help them manage these and other challenges they face with greater confidence and prevent any problems from escalating.’
In the video, which was recorded earlier this year, Kate, pictured here on her last royal engagement in August, encourages people to speak out when they have feeling that are ‘too big to manage on our own’
Kate visited the centre earlier this year and while she may have a full-time live-in nanny and a mother who gives her plenty of help with Prince George, three, and Princess Charlotte, Kate suggested it still wasn’t easy bringing up a family after listening to the stories of a group of mothers who have been through problems such as a family history of abuse and addiction.
‘Parenting is tough,’ admitted Kate, as she met young mothers battling emotional problems today at the Anna Freud Centre in London.
She added: ‘And with the history and all the things and the experiences you’ve all witnessed, to do that on top of your own anxieties, and the lack of support you also received as mothers…I find it extraordinary how you’ve managed actually. So really well done.’
She visited the unit to learn more about its work with families who have children under five that are at risk of being taken into care.
Kate is once again suffering with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), which strikes just one per cent of pregnancies and is a complication that causes excessive nausea and vomiting.
Kate visited the centre earlier this year and listened to the stories of a group of mothers who have been through problems such as a family history of abuse and addiction
Her husband, Prince William, told wellwishers that she was ‘doing well’ during a visit to Liverpool last week.
It is understood that the Duchess of Cambridge was included in the early planning for the visit to the Liverpool emergency unit that has undergone a £35 million refit morning but she is still poorly with severe morning sickness
When a wellwisher asked how Kate was, William seemed to suggest she’s improving. He said, ‘She’s very well thanks. George started school — it’s been an interesting week.’ The man said the little prince looked like his dad and then asked about the youngest member of the family, Charlotte, two.
‘She’s going to be trouble when she’s older — all fathers say that.’
As she made a heavy rock hand sign, he asked if she was into rock. When she said Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, the prince smiled and said he was more ‘soft rock,’ and Linkin Park were among his favourites. Pagan, who was with boyfriend Graham Lee, 50, apologised for her look as she lay on the hospital bed. ‘You look beautiful,’ William told her, charmingly.
His son Georg only started his studies last Thursday when he was photographed being dropped off at the school by his father, the Duke of Cambridge.
The Duchess of Cambridge, who is pregnant with her third child and has been suffering from a severe form of morning sickness, told parents she will meet them at the gates when she, too, is able to do the school run.
The security incident involving the woman began unfolding on Tuesday afternoon.
It is understood that she attempted to gain access to the school by posing as a visitor, possibly with a pre-booked appointment.
But she quickly left the building, which opens directly onto a busy road, after being challenged by a member of staff. It is unclear how far inside she got.
Shortly before 2pm yesterday the woman was seen again in a small leafy square a short distance from the school gates.
Police were alerted and she was held by plainclothes officers until uniformed colleagues arrived to search and arrest her.
One eyewitness, who was eating at Queenswood, in Battersea Square, said she was alerted by two ‘very agitated’ teachers wearing distinctive name badges standing outside.