The Queen was really thrilled that we'd had a little girl, and when we came back here to Kensington, she was one of her first visitors.
— Kate Middleton
When I was growing up, I was very lucky. My family was the most important thing to me. They provided me with somewhere safe to grow and learn, and I know I was fortunate not to have been confronted by serious adversity at a young age.
Being able to go into Wimbledon and be part of an amazing atmosphere is special.
Every time Wimbledon is on, I am thinking, 'Yes, I could do the same and get out the racket.' Sadly, not the same results.
You go from thinking of yourself as primarily an individual to suddenly being a mother, first and foremost.
Personally, becoming a mother has been such a rewarding and wonderful experience. However, at times it has also been a huge challenge. Even for me who has support at home that most mothers do not.
I can remember being at Sandringham, for the first time, at Christmas. And I was worried what to give the Queen as her Christmas present. I was thinking, 'Gosh, what should I give her?'. I thought, 'I'll make her something.' Which could have gone horribly wrong. But I decided to make my granny's recipe of chutney.
Change the way we all talk to each other about our mental health.
When I first visited the Hospice in Milton, I had a pre-conceived idea as to what to expect. Far from being a clinical, depressing place for sick children, it was a home. Most importantly, it was a family home, a happy place of stability, support and care. It was a place of fun.
From taking photographs of George and Charlotte, I have been struck by the wonderful lack of self-consciousness that you see in photographs of children, without the self-awareness that adults generally feel.
I feel very, very lucky that George has got a little sister.
We have seen that two heads are better than one when dealing with a mental health problem.
It is our duty, as parents and as teachers, to give all children the space to build their emotional strength and provide a strong foundation for their future.
I was lucky. My parents and teachers provided me with a wonderful and secure childhood where I always knew I was loved, valued, and listened to.
Some children are tackling tough times without the support that can help them because the adults in their life are scared to ask.
We need to help young people and their parents understand that it's not a sign of weakness to ask for help.
All of us know someone who has been through difficult emotional times, and we know how hard it can be to see a way forward.
Around a third of parents still worry that they will look like a bad mother or father if their child has a mental health problem. Parenting is hard enough without letting prejudices stop us from asking for the help we need for ourselves and our children.
My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect, and honesty, and I realize how central values like these have been to me throughout my life.
Every child deserves to grow up knowing their potential and feeling confident that they won't fall at the first hurdle - that they cope with life's setbacks.
Sadly, for some mothers, this experience can be made so much harder due to challenges with our very mental health.
If any of us caught a fever during pregnancy, we would seek advice and support from a doctor. Getting help with our mental health is no different - our children need us to look after ourselves and get the support we need.
Having a child, particularly your first child, is such a life-changing moment. Nothing can really prepare you for that.
Parenting is tough.
Throughout my work with family and child support organizations, one thing that has stood out to me time and again is that getting early support for a child who is struggling to cope is the best possible thing we can do to help our children as they grow up.
I feel enormously proud to be part of East Anglia's Children's Hospices and to see the wonderful life-changing work that you do.
I think there is a real art to walkabouts.
It's very special having a new little girl.
The challenge that so many people have is not knowing how to take that first step of reaching out to another person for help.
Since beginning my work in areas like addiction, for example, I have seen time and time again that the roots of poor mental health in adulthood are almost always present in unresolved childhood challenges.
No parent would fail to call the doctor if their child developed a fever.
No one would feel embarrassed about seeking help for a child if they broke their arm - and we really should be equally ready to support a child coping with emotional difficulties.
Together with open conversations and greater understanding, we can ensure that attitudes for mental health change and children receive the support they deserve.
First-class delivery of children's palliative care is life-changing. When families are confronted with the shattering news that their children have a life-limiting condition, their world can fall apart.
We hope to encourage George and Charlotte to speak about their feelings, and to give them the tools and sensitivity to be supportive peers to their friends as they get older.
George loves the T Rex because it's the noisiest and the scariest.
William and I feel that every child deserves to be supported through difficult times in their lives.
There is no rule book, no right or wrong; you just have to make it up and do the very best you can to care for your family.
Nothing can really prepare you for you the sheer overwhelming experience of what it means to become a mother. It is full of complex emotions of joy, exhaustion, love, and worry, all mixed together.
The most memorable engagement for me, I suppose, was an away-day to Leicester. I went without William, so I was rather apprehensive about that.
Parents, teachers, and other school staff need the tools to help these young people early in their lives. And the earlier, the better. It is proven that early action prevents problems later in life.
Imagine if everyone was able to help just one child who needs to be listened to, needs to be respected, and needs to be loved - we could make such a huge difference for an entire generation.
I am sure you will agree that all children deserve time, attention, and love from the adults in their lives. These basic qualities are so much more valuable than the always-changing material and social concerns that can seem so important to young people.
Everyone teases me in the family that I spend far too long chatting. So I think I've still got to learn a little bit more and to pick up a few more tips, I suppose.
We have heard time and time again in the course of our work how talking can help heal the hidden challenges we can't deal with alone.
Addiction is a hugely complex and destructive disease, and its impact can be simply devastating. All too often, lives and families can be shattered by it.
I often get asked why I decided to spend time highlighting the mental health of children.
With the right help, children have a good chance of overcoming their issues while they are still young and can have the bright future they deserve.
A child's mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserves the same quality of support.
We want to encourage people to talk to one another.
