‘Hands on’ William and Kate have one strict rule for Prince George

‘Hands on’ William and Kate have one strict rule for Prince George Prince William and Princess Kate have been praised for their hands-on parenting style, with fellow parents 'gently amused' by how involved they are at school events, birthday parties and the daily school run While his parents are determined to give Prince George as “normal” an upbringing as possible, there is one key detail that will make the future king’s teenage years quite different to those of most other young Brits. None of Prince William’s children as yet have mobile phones. His wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales has written how she fears for a generation “born into a world immersed in digital technology. “When we check our phones during conversations, scroll through social media during family dinners or respond to emails while playing with our children,” she wrote, "we’re not just being distracted, we are withdrawing the basic form of love that human connection requires.” Prince William has conceded that when George starts at Eton in September, he may be allowed to have a basic phone without internet access so he can keep in touch with his family and friends. While William and Kate have made every effort to give George as "normal" an upbringing as possible, his life differs from that of a typical British teenager in some notable ways. "None of our children have phones, which we're very strict about," William told Eugene Levy. Rather than scrolling through screens, the whole family makes time for one another: "We sit and chat. It's really important," he added. With both the King and the Princess of Wales having received cancer diagnoses over the past couple of years, there is certainly no shortage of meaningful conversation: "We choose to communicate a lot more with our children," William told a Brazilian news outlet. "Every family has its own difficulties and its own challenges. It's very individual and sort of moment-dependent as to how you deal with those problems." As Prince George nears his 13th birthday, the Prince of Wales has emphasised his commitment to providing his children with the "normal" upbringing that few earlier Royal Family generations could have imagined. "I do try and stick to school timetables as best as possible," he said while appearing on Eugene Levy's Reluctant Traveller documentary. "Most days we're in and out of school doing pick-ups and drop-offs." He added: "Getting the balance of work and family life right is really important because, for me, the most important thing in my life is family." While, for instance, King Charles spent much of his early years being looked after by nannies while his parents carried out royal engagements abroad, William and Kate are frequently spotted at their children's sporting events and school productions. Daily Beast journalist Tom Sykes, who shared details via his Substack, spoke to parents connected to Thomas's Battersea in London and Lambrook in Berkshire - the two schools attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales's children. They have witnessed a side of the couple that differs considerably from the public persona most people recognise. "I went to the house for a kid's birthday party, and [William and Kate] were the ones organising the games and playing rounders," a parent whose children go to Lambrook told Sykes. "Any of us lot would get an entertainer in and sit in the house drinking rosé." Writing in The Sun, Emily Andrews said that William and Kate's "hands-on approach" at parties left fellow parents "gently amused". A friend of the royal couple also gave an insight into the couple's parenting style. They said: "The prince and princess have put in boundaries to give their children an incredibly normal upbringing in the circumstances. How they decide when they show up at events is carefully balanced. The prince has always wanted to give them the normal upbringing that he didn't have." Prince George's upbringing is markedly different from that of previous heirs to the throne. As he enters his teenage years, he has experienced considerably more privacy than even his father enjoyed, and has spent significantly more time with both of his parents. "If I can't give my time to my children... I worry about their future," Prince William said in a 2016 interview. "I think royal duty is extremely important. It's part of the fabric of what the royal family and any future monarch has... I want to bring my children up as good people with the idea of service and duty to others as very important. "But it's about finding your own way at the right time, and if you're not careful, duty can sort of weigh you down an awful lot at a very early age, and I think you've got to develop into the duty role."