Topics: Prince William, Kate Middleton, Parenting, Royal Family, Prince George, Social Media, UK News
Prince William and Kate Middleton have issued some candid comments about parenting, including a difficult decision they've had to make for their son, Prince George.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to three children, with George, 12, being the eldest, followed by Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, seven.
Raising three children is a task for anyone, and that's without being part of the most famous family in Britain, with the world watching your every move.
Despite this, William and Kate, both 43, have been pretty honest about the challenges they've faced while parenting the trio and often give royal fans an insight into what their family life is like behind the scenes.
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And now, he's issued an update on how things are going, including his views on social media and how they told the kids about Kate's cancer diagnosis.
For those not up to date, Kate completed her treatment in September 2024, has since announced she was in remission early this year, in January.
During William's trip to Rio de Janeiro last week for his Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony, he was interviewed by Brazilian journalist Luciano Huck.
The royal was also quizzed on how he and Kate have communicated with their children amid the difficult few years they've had, not only with Kate's cancer diagnosis but also King Charles' as he continues to undergo treatment after disclosing his diagnosis.
William explained: "We choose to communicate a lot more with our children. That has its good things and its bad things. Sometimes you feel you're oversharing with your children and probably shouldn't. But most of the time, hiding stuff from them doesn't work."
He explained that he and Kate talk through the children's emotions with them so that they can explore their feelings.
William said this 'helps give them a bigger picture, and they can relax more into it rather than being anxious about "What are you hiding? What do I not know? Why is that happening?"'
He continued: "There's a lot more questions when there are no answers. It's always a balancing act; every parent knows that. It's 'How much do I say? What do I say? When do I say?' There's no manual for being a parent. You've just got to go with your instincts."
And one major choice that's come up for the family is whether or not their children would have phones.
The couple made the 'hard' decision to withhold smartphones from their kids due to their concerns about internet access.
But as George is expected to start secondary school next year, Kate and William have had to come to a compromise.
The Prince of Wales told Huck: "It's really hard. Our children don't have phones. I think when George moves on to secondary school, then maybe he might have a phone that has no internet access."
He added: "To be honest, it's getting to the point where it's becoming a little bit of a tense issue. But I think he understands. I think it's the internet access I have a problem with. I think children can access too much stuff they don't need to see online."
And it's not the first time the royals have made their thoughts clear on this topic.
Last month, Kate wrote in an essay that 'when we check our phones during conversations, scroll through social media during family dinners, or respond to e-mails while playing with our children, we're not just being distracted, we are withdrawing the basic form of love that human connection requires'.
