Kate Middleton & Prince William Take a Gender-Neutral Parenting Approach to Play

Amelia Edelman
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Whether you’ve hopped fully onto the “nibling” train or are still just dipping your toes into the territory of, say, gray nursery decor rather than pink and blue, gender-neutral parenting is nothing new — and it’s here to stay. We’re particularly heartened when such visible parents as, say, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka Prince William and Kate Middleton, take a gender-neutral approach to show their adoring masses of fans that there’s truly no such thing as toys “for girls.”

People reports that the Duke and Duchess visited London Bridge JobCentre on Tuesday, where community engagement manager Lloyd Graham explained to them that he’s working on matching folks experiencing pandemic-related unemployment with jobs — specifically in construction and demolition. This, of course, is a major area of interest for the little royals (and small children everywhere BECAUSE TRUCKS). A few years ago, when Prince William drove a digger during a site visit, he noted that young George was “very envious” — and apparently that love of construction vehicles has been passed along from big brother to little brother.

More from SheKnows

“The children, especially Louis, would love to come and watch that,” Prince William told Graham of the 2-year-old prince. “To see the diggers, they love it.”

But Kate wasn’t letting William get away with perpetuating any boys-love-trucks stereotypes. Not on her watch!

“Don’t forget Charlotte!” Kate added. “She’d love it too.”

View this post on Instagram

Thanking communities, individuals and businesses who have gone above and beyond to help others: Today The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited London Bridge and Whitechapel to hear about some of the challenges faced over the past six months. Throughout the Covid-19 emergency, London Bridge Job Centre has continued to provide face to face support to vulnerable customers. There, The Duke and Duchess spoke to customers, staff and employers on the difficulties involved in helping people find work during a global pandemic. At the London Muslim Centre @eastlondonmosque, volunteers have supported members of the community by helping to cook and deliver warm meals and medication to the most vulnerable – and gone above and beyond by providing befriending calls to the isolated, vulnerable and elderly and critical counselling, including supporting women affected by domestic violence. During a visit to East London’s famous @beigel_bake Brick Lane Bakery, The Duke and Duchess heard how this affected employees, as well as the ways in which the shop have helped their community through food donation and delivery.

A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on Sep 15, 2020 at 10:25am PDT

And for what it’s worth, William seems to be quite good at skipping the stereotypes as far as his kids go — and making sure his only daughter feels fully equal to her brothers. Last year, he famously told 14-year-old footballer Olivia Hancock that he encourages kids of all genders to pursue sports, and thinks Charlotte could even best George at football.

Hancock told reporters that William “always tells his son: ‘Charlotte could be as good as you,'” when it comes to playing football. “It’s great to hear that Prince William is saying that to George,” the teen added.

At the JobCentre visit William also mentioned his lack of faith in men who do a traditionally “manly” type of work: fixing stuff around the house.

“In terms of DIY, men think they can do everything when it comes to DIY,” William told Sandra McNamera of Leyland. “I think that’s why everything falls apart,” he laughed.

Time for the family to sicc Charlotte on their digger and DIY tasks, perhaps?

Shop ethical toys for kids of any gender right here.

ethical charitable toy brands
ethical charitable toy brands

Launch Gallery: Adorable Mommy-&-Me Matching Clothing for Kids of Any Gender

Best of SheKnows

Sign up for SheKnows' Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.