“Сhat Sofa” and 6 Other Parenting Tricks Prince William and Kate Middleton Use

Dressed to the nines, always impeccable, and never a hair out of place — this is what we imagine when we think of royal children. No doubt, they have to learn a lot to be exemplary princes or princesses. However, Kate and William have great tricks that help them bring up docile and happy children without causing any discomfort. And it’s worth noting that spanking with a royal belt is not included in this type of discipline.

Bright Side is unveiling some clever parenting hacks you may want to try with your kids.

1. They use a “chat sofa” for serious talks.

A sofa is used as an alternative to the good old time-out chair. A naughty kid sits on a special sofa with a parent and then reflects on and learns from misbehavior. At the home of William and Kate, no shouts are ever heard. Everything is explained to the children and all possible consequences are discussed.
Shouting is banned, so if one of the children decides to raise their voice, they are immediately taken out of the room.

2. They use code words.

Some parents might have the immediate urge to shout at their kids to correct their behavior. However, that’s not what Kate Middleton does. Instead, she says, “Let’s take a break,” and then calms down her kids with the help of a book or puzzle. Once the kids hear the code word, they instantly switch to the behave-well-or-you’ll-be-sitting-on-the-chat-sofa mode.

3. They emphasize the importance of touch.

Parenting expert Dr. Rebecca Chicot says that Kate also uses physical communication to prevent kids from throwing tantrums. Kate believes that hugs are important and that’s what she tells her children. Another thing that the duchess does is touch her kid’s head when they misbehave. It seems to work pretty well since Prince George’s developing tantrum was effectively prevented at Pippa Middleton’s wedding in 2017.

4. They speak to the kids at eye level.

For William and Kate, this trick is a way to show their kids that they’re important to them. Once they talk to them at eye level, their children understand that whatever their parents are going to say is serious and should be paid attention to. Experts call it active listening when the interlocutor’s eyes are on the same level. Not only is this trick effective in parenting, but it also serves well in business meetings.

5. It’s okay to break rules sometimes.

Although it might seem like royal children have an incredibly strict upbringing, it’s not quite true. Kate and William understand that kids will be kids, and occasional wild behavior is no big deal. In the past, there was a tradition of not showing affection to royal kids in public, but that isn’t how William and Kate choose to act. They broke the old-fashioned rule and introduced a new way of parenting.

6. Their kids wear hand-me-downs.

If you think royal children wear only designer labels, you couldn’t be farther from the truth. Just like us, they wear their elder siblings’ clothes. Prince George has been spotted wearing the same outfits that Prince William used to wear several times.

7. Be laid-back but not a pushover.

Kate Middleton is a perfect balance of fun and authority. Behind closed doors, she’s just a regular mom. She wears comfy sweatpants and ties her hair up in a ponytail. She’s a confident mother who understands that kids might get out of hand at times. However, if the kids throw a fit, they’re told off.

Did you find these tricks helpful? Do you have your own rules that you enforce?