Kate shares powerful message about 'bringing meaning to our lives'

The Princess of Wales has announced the next phase of her work with children, unveiling the next steps of her Shaping Us campaign.

Kate, 43, has launched a paper called The Shaping Us Framework, published on February 2. The paper, which has been written by academics, clinicians and practitioners in human development, highlights the challenges and opportunities that exist in this space.

The royal has written a foreword to the report which has been published by the Centre for Early Childhood, which Kate founded in 2021.

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"Modern society is complex," she writes. "At times, it can feel like the world is filled with mistrust and misunderstanding, leaving many people feeling isolated and vulnerable during difficult times.

"The impact of this – poor mental health, addiction and abuse – can be devastating, for individuals and for society."

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She continues: "If we are to address this properly, if we are to find real, lasting solutions to these deep-rooted challenges and create a physically and mentally healthier society, we must reset, restore and rebalance. We must invest in humankind.

"At the heart of all of this is the need for us to develop and nurture a set of social and emotional skills which we must prioritise if we are to thrive."

The report lays out "why early childhood is such a golden opportunity to give the next generation the most positive start in life".

"But it also shows that these skills continue to grow throughout adulthood – it is never too late," the princess added.

The royal will spend the next few days promoting the publication.

Already this year the Princess of Wales has visited a textile manufacturing factory in Corgi, in South Wales on January 30.

That same day Kate visited TA Hafan, a children's hospice based in Sully, near Cardiff.

On January 27 the royal joined the Prince of Wales attending a ceremony to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day and the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau at Guildhall.

Earlier this month she visited with cancer patients at The Royal Marsden Hospital where she was also treated.

The Princess of Wales launched the Shaping Us campaign in January 2023, spreading the message that a child's earliest years are crucial to their health and wellbeing throughout their lives.

The new report focuses on six areas of life skills for children: Knowing ourselves, managing our emotions, focusing our thoughts, communication with others, nurturing our relationships and exploring the world.

Christian Guy, Executive Director of The Centre for Early Childhood said: "It is time that we recognised and acted upon the undeniable significance of social and emotional skills and give them the recognition they deserve.

"Getting this right in early childhood, when we lay the foundations upon which these skills continue to grow throughout our lives – could have a truly profound impact on the future of individuals and of our society."

The report speaks of the importance of giving children agency in their lives including choosing the clothes they wear and the plate on which they eat their dinner.

"These are examples of young children starting to develop a sense of control – or 'agency' – over their life," it states.

It also encourages parents to talk to their children about their hopes and dreams.

The Princess highlighted the importance of play that provides just the right level of challenge and is "not too easy, and not too hard", explaining that through play children "exert their influence on the world: exercising personal preferences and desires, contributing to cause-and-effect relationships, and influencing their own experiences and learning".

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