‘I was very naive as a parent,’ Kate Middleton tells mental health conference

Kate Middleton has admitted that she was 'naive' about how important a child's early years are for their future.

The Duchess of Cambridge told a mental health in education conference that before she had children of her own, she didn't know much about child development.

"When I first started out - and I’ve learnt a lot in a short period of time working with organisations - I was very naive myself as a parent, of really just how important particularly the early years are for children’s futures," she said. “And how critical it is, everyone looking after children at a critical time, teachers, parents, and everyone who’s caring for them, how important it is that we get it right."

It's a message that should be emphasised clearly, she added. Kate was meeting experts yesterday to discuss mental health training for teachers. She took notes throughout the 45-minute meeting and moments before she was due to leave, said she wanted to make an "impromptu speech". “I wasn’t actually planning on making a speech, but I wanted to say a few words on reflection," she told delegates. She said that working with children's organisations over the years has taught her that "many of today’s social problems can be traced right back to the very earliest years of a person’s life and often over generations.

"It is clear that the positive development of our children is directly linked to those who care for them, teachers, carers and parents." — The Duchess of Cambridge #MHinEducation pic.twitter.com/47sBaYQtgS

— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 13, 2019

"It is also clear that the positive development of our children is directly linked to those who care for them, teachers, carers and parents." She then called for support for teachers' own mental health and finished by thanking all those who were prioritising childhood mental health.