The Duchess of Cambridge has admitted "parenting is tough" as she visited the Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families on Wednesday (11.01.17).
The 35-year-old Duchess – who shares three-year-old Prince George and 20-month-old Princess Charlotte with her husband Prince William – praised the efforts of mothers who are battling depression or difficult upbringings during a visit to the specialised unit which supports families who are at risk of their children being taken into care.
According to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, the Duchess met with and paid tribute to the women who had completed the centre’s intensive treatment programme.
She said: "Parenting is tough, [especially with] the experiences you’ve all witnessed.
"I find it extraordinary how you’ve managed actually, so really well done."
The specialised unit typically deals with parents who have lived through an abusive childhood themselves – through neglect or physical violence – or are dealing with a health issue like depression.
The Duchess spent time chatting to a 19-year-old mother, named as Amber, and her 18-month-old son Le’Juan.
Amber said of the centre afterwards: "I think people need to know exactly how mental health affects people and that there are places exactly like this unit, that do really intense treatment and not just somewhere you can attend once a week.
"I’ve only been here four months but already I’m noticing differences in myself especially on the anxiety side.
"Now I’m able to recognise when I’m going into an anxiety attack when before I was oblivious to it."
Duchess of Cambridge: ‘Parenting is tough’
