I traveled on a plane this week and listened to a podcast I’d never tried before: Happy Mum, Happy Baby, by Giovanna Fletcher. The episode caught my eye because HRH Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, was the guest.
Like most of the world, I’ve watched Kate with interest during the past decade as she married Prince William and started motherhood. I felt for her when she appeared on the steps of the hospital holding a newborn–her make-up and hair flawless–and wearing heels(!) while smiling at the enamored masses. Poor Mama, I thought.
I was stunned when she arrived a few weeks later for royal duties and I couldn’t detect any baby fat anywhere! She looked amazing!
When she quickly became pregnant again and struggled with morning sickness, my heart went out to her. I hate those long days, weeks and months when nothing stays down and you become a limp mass on the couch or floor, holding onto hope that “this, too, shall pass.”
When her daughter, Charlotte, was born, I was also in the hospital (with my 10th baby) and felt a strange kinship to Kate. But, again, I was eternally grateful that I could lounge in my nightgown while she dressed and showed up for the crowds.
And when she had her 3rd child, Louis, my interest and respect grew yet again. She appeared a committed and happy mother.
Anyway, as my plane took off, I settled in with my headphones to hear what the Duchess had to say about motherhood. And, I was pleasantly–in fact, more than thrilled–at her replies.
Here are a few of my favorite take-aways from Kate’s comments:
*families are at the CENTER of our society
*it’s the SIMPLE things that create a happy childhood
*the world is a ‘real adventure for children
*the more loving people you have around, the better
*nature takes its course during birth
*midwives can play an ‘extraordinary’ role in birth
*I totally UNDERESTIMATED the impact our first baby would have on our lives.
*once a baby is born, it’s amazing and extraordinary to see pure joy on a husband’s face
*we have to try and remember the SIMPLE THINGS through the complications of life
*the STRENGTH OF FAMILY and SIMPLE ACTS OF KINDNESS unite us as a society
*How can you physically get three children out to the car at once? You can’t!
Kate also shared two aspects of childhood which make a tremendous difference:
1.) the quality of relationships
2.) the environments children spend time in, including a happy home and the power of spending time in the out-of-doors
And my favorite quote…
“Since being a mom I have found a new enjoyment out of life.”
Like I said, I LOVED her down-to-earth answers and the respect she emanated for parenting and motherhood. I felt like Duchess Kate truly valued her role as a mother and was doing her best to raise her children in a happy, loving home.
Here’s the link to the full podcast: http://aca.st/045608
I HIGHLY recommend listening!
My wake-up call came when my teenage son excitedly told me one day that he had seen a piece of the Berlin Wall.
Various circumstances took me to Germany twice as a teenager. The first time was in 1988, to visit Hans Dieter and Inge Wittke, Scouting friends of my dad’s. They lived in a small village near Düsseldorf, West Germany. I stayed with the Wittkes for a month while I practiced my junior high school German skills.
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