Kate Middleton Wrote a Rare Op-Ed Discussing Early Childhood Development

As a mother to three young children, it makes sense that early childhood development is an important topic for Kate Middleton. Not only is the Princess of Wales a doting mother, but we always see her pulling out her best parenting tricks whenever she encounters kids on her royal outings. But, in case you needed any more proof of Princess Catherine's passion for the subject, the royal recently wrote a rare op-ed for The Telegraph, where she discussed the “first crucial years of life.”

The princess starts out by saying, “Over the past 10 years, talking to a wide range of experts about how we deal with societal issues like poor mental and physical health, I have become more and more sure of one thing: if we are going to create a healthier and happier society for future generations, we must start by understanding and acknowledging the unique importance of the first five years of life.”

Princess Catherine goes on to say that the first five years immensely impact the rest of our lives, and she points out that evidence of this only continues to grow. She also notes that within the first five years of life, our brains grow faster than at any other stage of our existence.

“It is the way we develop through our experiences, relationships and interactions at that very young age that shapes everything from our ability to form relationships and succeed at work, to our mental and physical health as adults,” the Princess of Wales adds. But, she argues that not enough is being done, and we could solve many of our societal issues by looking at those early years.

The Princess of Wales argues, “If we are going to tackle the sorts of complex challenges we face today like homelessness, violence and addiction, which are so often underpinned by poverty and poor mental health, we have to fully appreciate those most preventative years and do everything we can to nurture our children and those who care for them.”

And she closes by saying, “We have an incredible opportunity, armed with all we now know as a result of the work of dedicated scientists, researchers and practitioners, to make a huge difference to the mental and physical health of generations to come. That is why I am determined to continue to shine a light on this issue and to do everything I can to secure much greater focus on those first crucial few years for the youngest members of our society - they are, after all, our future.”

This is not the first time we've heard Princess Catherine discuss this issue. For years, the Princess of Wales has made it her mission to dive further into early childhood development, and last fall, she teamed up with the University College London to develop a “Children of the 2020s” study. This study, according to Princess Catherine, “will illustrate the importance of the first five years and provide insights into the most critical aspects of early childhood, as well as the factors which support or hinder positive lifelong outcomes.”

In June 2021, the Princess of Wales also launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which has a similar aim.

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