Parents everywhere will identify.
Kate Middleton and Prince William confessed Friday that they had not told their children that their school went out on holiday break, instead keeping homeschooling going as they desperately sought ways to fill the days of self-isolation.
The couple were asked how they were coping with the educational challenge in a BBC interview via a video link from their country home in Norfolk.
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“Yeah, homeschooling is fun,” deadpanned Prince William.
Kate pulled a face and said, “Don’t tell the children but we’ve actually kept going through the holidays. I feel very mean.”
Kate added, “The children have got such stamina, I don’t know how they do it. Honestly, you get to the end of the day and you write down the list of all the things that you’ve done in that day; pitch a tent, take the tent down again, cook, bake. You get tot the end of the day, they’ve had a lovely time, but it is amazing how much you can cram into a day that’s for sure.”
Kate said they had experienced “ups and downs” during the pandemic lockdown “like lots of families.”
William suggested he had been in contact with his brother Harry and Meghan, who were pictured today handing out care packages in downtown Los Angeles, saying, “We have been talking to all the family online. It’s been a really good way of keeping in touch and seeing each other.”
In the interview, William also revealed how anxious he was when his father, the Prince of Wales, was diagnosed with the virus.
“I have to admit, at first I was quite concerned. He fits the profile of somebody, at the age he is at, which is fairly risky,” said William, but he said his father had experienced many chest infections and colds, so he felt optimistic he would recover.
He also said he was worried about his grandparents, the queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, but that they were doing everything they could to ensure they were protected and isolated from the deadly coronavirus.
William said the three-week lockdown had been “frustrating” for many people and “pressure, stress and isolation” had been building up.
“If we are going to go forward with more time spent in lockdown, then there is going to be an ever-increasing need for people to look after their mental health and take it seriously and also know where to go to get the support they might need,” he said.
Prince William said there was a concern people might think they were “not worthy of support” because of the pressure on services during the coronavirus crisis.
“It’s important that other people aren’t forgotten and those who do need help, and do need support, and haven’t necessarily ever had to think about their mental well-being, start to do that in this weird climate we’re in,” he said.
The couple want to encourage people to talk to each other using technology and also use online tools to help them during the pandemic.
Kate added: “What we’re seeing now is the NHS and the frontline workers doing the most extraordinary job. And that’s really come to the forefront in the last few weeks. It’s going to dramatically change how we all value and see our frontline workers. That is one of the main positives you can take from this.”
