Kate Middleton made her blogging debut on Wednesday, February 17, as she took the reins as Huffington Post's Guest Editor in a bid to raise awareness and understanding of children's mental health issues.
The Duchess of Cambridge's first foray into journalism was a thoughtful and personal account of the discoveries she has made since she started working with charities that focus on addiction, family breakdowns and vulnerable children.
In her first piece of writing for her Young Minds Matter series, Middleton not only talked about her own discoveries but also addressed her and Prince William's intentions to make sure their children, Prince George, 2, and Princess Charlotte, 9 months, grow up emotionally aware.
"What I did not expect was to see that time and time again, the issues that led people to addiction and destructive decision making seemed to almost always stem from unresolved childhood challenges," she wrote in her debut article. "It became clear to me that many children — even those younger than five — have to deal with complex problems without the emotional resilience, language or confidence to ask for help. And it was also clear that with mental health problems still being such a taboo, many adults are often too afraid to ask for help for the children in their care."
After discussing her hopes for removing the stigma and prejudice surrounding getting help for children's mental health issues, she went on to talk about her own parenting approaches.
"Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it," she said. "We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older. We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness."
It was also announced on Wednesday that Middleton has become patron of the Anna Freud Centre, a children’s mental health charity she visited last year. “The patronage reflects Her Royal Highness’s continued personal interest in children's mental health and emotional wellbeing,” the Palace told Us Weekly in a statement.
You can read the Duchess' full blog here.
