Even the Royal Family has school breaks. Kate Middleton joined a community group of fathers known as the “Dadvengers” in London’s Arnos Grove Wednesday after taking two weeks off from public appearances while her three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis were out of school for a break.
As part of her Shaping Us initiative, which stresses the importance of early childhood, the Duchess of Wales joined some members of the group on what they’ve dubbed a “Dad Walk” in London. The group offers members a chance to support one another, and while activity is primarily online, in-person meetups like the Dad Walks allow members to get to know one another and lend support in a casual setting. Middleton posed for photos and chatted with the members and children at the event.
She emphasized the “shared” responsibility of fathers in parenting. The group gathered at the Arnos Arms pub after their walk, where they spoke with Middleton more.
“I think the thing is raising the importance of family time and the role dads are playing in raising kids,” she said, according to Hello! magazine. “Through what you guys are doing, the kids are seeing the importance of socializing and getting together.”
One father, with his four-month-old baby in tow, said of the group, “We’ve got a WhatsApp chat and there’s like 30 of us in it…and I can just ask ‘Hey man, do you wanna go for a walk with the babies?’ That network is just great.”
Nigel Clarke, who founded the group and speaks about parenting on the BBC, told Hello! about his chats with Middleton.
“We discussed how it’s difficult reaching dads, and she asked how we’ve managed it,” he said. “I’d like walks like this to happen up and down the country. The goal is to normalize seeing dads spending time with their kids.”
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