Princess Kate Gives A Peek Into Raising Her ‘Live Wire’ Toddler, Her Approach To Parenting

Princess Kate will some day be the wife of one King of England — and possibly the mother of another King of England — but for the moment, she’s the mother of a “live wire” toddler who’s coming up on his Terrible Twos, People is reporting.

During a recent polo match/photo shoot while Kate’s husband, the second-in-line-to-the-throne Prince William, played polo, Kate did like all moms of toddlers do, running after him, keeping him out of trouble, but generally letting him be a messy, normal kid. Royal photographer Mark Stewart, on hand for the event, described the Little Prince perfectly.

“George seemed to be a handful – a live wire.”

And like most toddlers, Prince George is attached to his mum. He’s also “running around constantly,” and “doesn’t let her have a minute to herself.”

Kate, rather than a nanny, kept an eye on the future King during dad’s recent polo match.

“[Kate] was running after him and making sure he was interacting with the other children. She wasn’t being precious with him – she wanted him to have a good old rough-and-tumble.”

A source close to the couple says that mom Kate wants her son to have the most normal childhood possible. That means putting aside the royal tradition of living a “detached” life and letting a team of servants do the dirty work. In fact, says International Business Times, Kate is committed to introducing so-called “middle-class” values into Prince George and Princess Charlotte’s lives.

Rather than living in one of the Royal Family’s multiple palaces, the live-wire toddler lives with his family at the comparatively modest 10-bedroom Anmer Hall. His dad, like just about any other dad in England, has an actual job (beyond just being a Royal): Prince William used his experience in the Royal Air Force to get himself a day job as an air ambulance pilot (he donates his £40,000 salary to charity). Instead of a team of nannies, his mother and grandmother (Kate’s mother, Carole Middleton) provide most of his care. His aunt (Pippa Middleton) and uncle (James Middleton) are known to stop by frequently.

The new royal tradition of child-rearing — that is, being a hands-on parent who tries to give their kids a “normal” life — goes back to Prince William’s own mother, Princess Diana. Back when William and his brother, Prince Harry, were small boys, their mother eschewed the trappings of a royal upbringing in favor of visits to theme parks — an attitude that didn’t sit well with the Royal Family, according to ABC News.

It seems that with her hands-on approach to parenting her own little “live wire,” Princess Kate is continuing that tradition.

[Image courtesy of: Getty Images / WPA Pool]