Royal experts have highlighted the 'tactile' and 'protective' gesture Prince William relies on to calm his 11-year-old son Prince George when he appears overwhelmed in public.
Tweens and teens can experience big emotions, with their age bringing on a whole host of new experiences and feelings that they've never had to handle before. There are certainly ways that teens want their ‘intense emotions’ handled and parenting experts have previously shared how reflective parenting could help your teenager manage their big emotions, but Prince William has developed a much simpler trick when it comes to keeping his 11-year-old son Prince George calm in tricky situations.
Highlighting the sweet and protective tactic William uses in his biography of Kate Middleton, royal author Robert Johnson revealed that the prince is incredibly hands-on when it comes to parenting, especially with his oldest son as he knows how challenging it can be to grow up knowing you are heir to the throne.
He shared that George, as well as his siblings Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, are 'wrapped in love' from their dad before revealing the simple gesture he's adopted to use whenever George appears awkward or overwhelmed at public events.
"William keeps a watchful eye on his son, and if George appears awkward or overwhelmed, his dad is always close by to put a protective hand on his shoulder," he shared. "He [William] has a more tactile parenting style than his father [King Charles III] and wants his three children to look back on their childhoods with a feeling of being wrapped in love."
We saw the tactic in action earlier this year when William and his three kids attended a Taylor Swift concert in London. When the youngsters met the singer and later posted a selfie they'd took together, the father-of-three can be seen in the back gently reassuring his son of his presence and providing comfort through his gentle touch.
Johnson isn't the only expert to highlight the tactic, with royal expert and former royal correspondent for the BBC Jennie Bond previously telling OK! Magazine that it's just one manifestation of William's hope to give his kids a 'long and loving relationship with their parents.'
Speaking about William's tactile parenting approach, she shared, "It’s a very different way of bringing up royal children and William wants them to know that they will always be wrapped up in a bubble of love.
"I think it will pay huge dividends in the future, with three rounded, well-balanced and much loved children who will hopefully have a long and loving relationship with their parents."
There's plenty we can learn about parenting from the royal, from the way he and Kate Middleton use ‘controlled parenting’ to protect their kids to his parenting rule he is 'scrupulous' about when it comes to ensuring his kids feel equal to one another. Plus, in other royal news, he's set to take George, Charlotte and Louis to a very poignant holiday spot this year that holds his 'saddest memories'.
