The 'very cool' parenting technique Anne Hathaway's borrowed from the Duchess of Cambridge

Fresh from her revelation that she has quit drinking alcohol for the sake of her son, Anne Hathaway has admitted she has adopted a parenting technique from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The actress who has a two-year-old son, Jonathan with husband Adam Shulmen revealed she borrowed a useful hack from the royal couple.

The 36-year-old star said she’d read about the “really cool” way the Duke and Duchess speak to their children by crouching down to their eye level, and now she’s started doing it with her toddler.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style magazine, she said: “They get down on the child’s level and speak to them eye to eye to make their child feel empowered. I thought that was really cool. I started doing that with Jonathan.”

The technique is apparently called ‘active listening’, and according to child development experts, the act of talking to the children on their level can make them feel important and respected.

Both Kate and William have been pictured crouching down to speak to their children Prince George Princess Charlotte several times while on official royal outings.

Kate was famously pictured using the technique as she touched down on at Victoria airport during a royal tour of Canada in 2016. She crouched down to reassure a somewhat nervous Prince George.

But she also used the method at her sister, Pippa’s wedding to engage with Princess Charlotte.

“Active listening is a powerful tool for building a positive, trusting connection with your child and preventing and diffusing potentially stressful situations,” explains Vanessa Christie, Early Parenting Expert and lactation consultant at The Baby Show.

“It’s about showing your child that you are taking the time to understand them by making eye contact, getting down to their level and ‘hearing’ what your child is trying to tell you both verbally and non-verbally.

Vanessa says children will know they are being heard if their parents are able to tell them back, in simple words, what they are trying to express.

“It may be that you’ve told your toddler that it’s time to leave a friend’s house and they start shouting ‘No’ and try to run away. An example of active listening here would be to get down to their level, try to make eye contact and calmly say ‘I can see that you are sad and mad that we have to go. We’ve had a great time here and it’s hard when fun things come to an end. I feel sad it’s over too. We need to get home now to have some tea and very soon we will do it all over again’.”

Within the same interview Anne also opened up about motherhood and how she tries to parent her young son.

“He’s so beautiful. I’m not perfect, but if I’m frustrated or distracted, I’m good at making sure he’s sage and walking away, calming down and then coming back to him,” she said.

“I fall short every day, but I’m not going to beat myself up about it, I’m going to learn from it.”

Meanwhile the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived to cheers as they walked the BAFTAs red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall in London last night.

Kate, 37, channelled Hollywood glamour in a bespoke, white, one-shoulder gown by designer favourite Alexander McQueen, with tulle flowers embroidered on one shoulder.

She teamed it with glittery heels, believed to be Jimmy Choo’s £525 Romy style, and a jewel-topped satin clutch bag.The mum-of-three accessorised with Princess Diana‘s diamond and south sea pearl dangle earrings.

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