The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has finally released the findings from the biggest survey the UK has ever completed. Kate Middleton has always been invested in Child Development, and she has been working for the last few years with a group of experts, according to Vanity Fair. Before COVID-19 hit the UK, Kate went on a mini-tour of the country and visited preschools and community centers to promote 5 Big Questions. This survey was intended to help charities make sure their priorities were in place with the needs of children and their education and support.
Earlier in the week, Kate posted an update to her social media accounts to say that she would be releasing the findings and insights from the survey. Kate has now revealed the #5BigInsights that she has discovered from this survey and research.
According to Harper's Bazaar, one of the biggest insights that was found was that 98% of all participants believe that nurture is what shapes a child’s future and that it is not predetermined at birth. However, only 1 in 4 participants recognized how important the first 5 years of a child’s life are.
The survey also highlighted a lot of concerns on the wellbeing of parents, and it found that life makes it difficult for parents to make sure their wellbeing and mental health were a priority. It was a clear call for change, because 90% said that a parent’s mental health was important for child development, but only 10% of parents said that they took time to take care of their mental health.
70% of parents reported that they have felt judged for their parenting and that it has had an impact on their mental health. This point is one that a lot of parents can likely relate too. There were also two insights that were directly related to the current pandemic and one of the struggles was recognized.
It seems that parental loneliness has risen from 38% to 63% during the pandemic, but 40% of parents did report that community support has risen. Kate Middleton released all of these findings on her official Twitter page as well.
These insights are a product of a survey that consisted of more than half a million people who are involved in the raising of children. This input and insights will be taken to produce the UK’s biggest study on the early years of a child’s life, and she reiterates that there may have never been a more important time to talk about families than right now and it looks like the conversation is going to be a good one.
Sources: Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Twitter via @KensingtonRoyal