Duchess of Cambridge reveals children's 'horror' as she cut their hair in lockdown
Watch: Kate confesses to challenges of parenting - and cutting her children’s hair
The Duchess of Cambridge has revealed she has been cutting her children’s hair during lockdown, much to their “horror”, as she chatted to teachers about the difficulties of homeschooling.
Kate, 39, is mum to Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two, and has been homeschooling her two oldest children during the lockdowns in England.
In a chat with parents whose children go to school in north-west London, she also admitted to being “exhausted” during this lockdown and said husband Prince William was her biggest support.
The three parents, plus headteacher Melissa Loosemore, from Roe Green Junior School, shared their tips and admitted their frustrations during a candid video call. The duchess has previously visited the school, in Kingsbury, to launch her Mentally Healthy Schools programme in 2018.
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Loosemore asked the parents to write down how they were finding being a parent during the latest lockdown in England, and hold it up to the camera.
Kate held up the word “exhausting”, while the others added “hectic”, “patience” and “challenging”.
The parents were also asked to rate their maths ability, with Kate giving herself minus five.
The group shared their tips on how they had been getting through, with Nicole Seidemann, a mother of four, discussing how exercise had become vital to her own mental wellbeing.
Musadiq Subar and Rajana Panchani said peer support from parents had been really important to them,
The duchess encouraged them and other parents who are homeschooling to “reach out to loved ones and friends” when they need help.
In a lighthearted moment the royal revealed she had been forced to cut her children’s hair, as hairdressers and barbers are closed.
Her own hair has been noticeably longer as she forgoes haircuts too.
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Kate said: “I’ve become a hairdresser this lockdown, much to my children’s horror, seeing mum cutting hair.
“We’ve had to become a teacher – and I think, personally, I feel pulled in so many different directions and you try your best with everything, but at the end of the day I do feel exhausted.”
Loosemore said: “Absolutely, absolutely. I think that is probably something we can all share.”
The Duchess of Cambridge said: “I know how challenging it is juggling work, home life, school life and everything else that you as parents are doing, so really well done.
“Fingers crossed, let’s hope for the positivity as you’ve all been saying. Make sure everyone looks after themselves - it’s very hard to prioritise but it’s definitely needed now more than ever.”
The duchess appeared to be back in Sandringham again, where she has been doing some of her work from since the family moved back up to Anmer Hall.
Prince William and Kate took their children up to Norfolk before new restrictions were imposed in London, where they usually live.
It means they are in for another round of homeschool in the countryside, having spent the first lockdown from March 2020 there.
The duchess worked with The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, Place2Be and Young Minds, to develop the Mentally Healthy Schools website back in 2018.
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