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.