Kate Middleton shares stamp of approval for ‘pacing' parenting technique

Miami Herald

3 days ago

Kate Middleton is continuing her support for early social and emotional development in children.
On Aug. 6, the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood released a series of animated videos rooted in science to help parents better support their kids through early childhood.
The series includes seven videos, one of which explains a parenting technique known as 'pacing.'
In the YouTube video, titled 'Creating space for connection,' the narrator details how adults are inclined to move through life quickly, which differs from the slow-paced environment kids generally learn in.
'That's because everything they're experiencing is still new to them,' the narrator explains. 'And the tools they need to process all of this information are still being developed.'
For example, adults pick up on facial expressions and mood changes quickly, while many kids don't.
The narrator argues that slowing things down for children and allowing them to learn in an environment tailored to their pace can help children 'make sense of the world' around them.
Not doing so could result in an overwhelmed child, which often leads to a stressed or frustrated parent.
'When they don't immediately respond to something we've asked, our natural inclination is to go faster,' the narrator adds. 'We repeat what we've asked even quicker than before.'
'As a result, the child has even less time to compute all this new information and becomes pretty much overwhelmed,' the narrator says, adding that children often respond with freezing, crying or ignoring you.
To counter this, the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood urges parents to 'slow down.'
That might mean pausing after asking their child a question to give their brain time to process new information at their own pace, or lingering on a page when reading together.
'That's all pacing really is. Slowing down every now and then so that our speed matches their speed,' the narrator says — adding that this often creates more 'positive interactions and moments of connection.'
In a news release published on the Centre for Early Childhood's website, Middleton described early childhood as a 'golden opportunity to build strong foundations for future life health and happiness.'
She added that the films 'showcase how adults can create nurturing, loving interactions with children, helping to foster social and emotional development' in the child's earliest years.
The Princess of Wales hopes the videos 'transform our societies' and help raise a 'younger generation better equipped to face the future.'
Middleton, who shares three kids — Prince George, 12; Princess Charlotte, 10; and Prince Louis, 7 — with husband Prince William, launched the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood in 2021.
The videos build on her Shaping Us Framework, which was created by the Centre in 2023, per the Royal Foundation's official website.
According to the news release, Middleton was 'closely involved' in the making of the films.
Other videos teach parents how to grow an emotionally healthy brain, how to notice and navigate feelings, how to manage big feelings together and how to encourage back and forth interactions with kids.
'These core social and emotional skills are essential in forming healthy relationships and are fundamental building blocks that can carry us through life,' Middleton said in the release.