Anne Hathaway has revealed she’s adopted a parenting technique often used by Duchess Catherine and Prince William when talking to her two-year-old son, Jonathan.
The 36-year-old actress told The Sunday Times that she once read something about the royal couple’s parenting technique that really stuck with her, thinking it was “really cool”.
If you’ve seen photographs of Kate and William interacting with children, you will be very familiar with the technique, where they kneel down to the child’s level to speak to them so as to make them feel more equal.
Anne Hathaway out and about with her son Jonathan and husband Adam Shulman. (Image: Getty)
Explaining to the publication, Anne said, “They get down on the child’s level and speak to them eye to eye to make their child feel empowered.
“I thought it was really cool.
“I started doing that with Jonathan.”
Co-author of A Moving Child Is a Learning Child, New Zealand child development expert Gill Connell told People that active listening is one of the most important ways to tell your child they’re important to you.
“Get down on the child’s level, lean in and make eye contact,” she says.
“Hang on his every word. React with positive verbal and nonverbal cures such as nodding, smiling, and hugging.
“And show broad emotions as he speaks so he knows what it feels like to be understood,” Connell continues.
“These simple messages foster self-esteem in powerful ways while encouraging him to communicate even more.”
Duchess Catherine kneels down to chat to Prince George. (Image: Getty)
The duchess doesn’t just use the technique with her own children. You’ll see her kneeling down to talk all children she greets. (Image: Getty)
While Anne usually keeps her son, who she shares with husband Adam Shulman, out of the spotlight, it hasn’t stopped the Oscar winner from talking about him, and in a recent talk show appearance says she’s given up drinking for him.
Chatting to Ellen DeGeneres, Anne told the host during an appearance on her show that she doesn’t “totally love the way” she drinks, so for her young son’s sake she’ll give up drinking until he moves out of home.
The Oscar-winning actress and mum says she’s given up drinking for 18 years, until her son moves out of home. (Image: Getty)
“For 18 years, I’m gonna stop drinking while my son is living in my house,” the actress told Ellen.
“[Jonathan] is getting to an age where he really does need me all the time, in the mornings.
“I did one school run one day where I dropped him off at school – I wasn’t driving, but I was hungover.
“That was enough for me.
“I didn’t love that [experience].”
