Homeschooling parents, how are you doing? Going bonkers? I think that’s fair. I couldn’t suddenly homeschool children during a pandemic, and I respect all of you trying to keep up with lessons and such. Here in America, the “school year” has already been cancelled, and various states are grappling with whether or not to do any kind of summer schooling. My guess is that most states will start the “new school year” in late August/early September no matter what though. In Britain it’s different, because they organize school years and semesters differently, and there’s a possibility that some or many schools will reopen in June for a final month of classes, then there will be a summer break, then the new term will begin in August or September. So where do the royals stand?
Kate Middleton and Prince William may keep Princess Charlotte at home next month when school reopens. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are reportedly keen to keep their eldest two children together to continue their lockdown routine.
While Princess Charlotte, who is in reception, could go back to school as part of the phased return to classes, Prince George is in year 2 – not one of the groups expected to be brought back under government advice. The Times today reported Kate and William were considering keeping the family together during the coronavirus lockdown. Both Charlotte, five, and George, six, attend Thomas’ school in Battersea, Southwest London, which is this week expected to make a final decision over the return of classes.
Primary schools in England are due to reopen on June 1 at the earliest on condition that coronavirus infections continue to drop. Ministers hope to bring back Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on that date. The remaining primary school pupils could return on June 22 for a month before terms end.
“Reception” is what I assume Americans would call kindergarten. That’s Charlotte’s age – she just turned 5 years old three weeks ago, so it’s some kind of nursery school/kindergarten. I wonder what the Cambridges will choose to do, especially with a lot of eyes on them. Many parents will take their lead from the Cambridges, I would assume. Meanwhile, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall have a similarly-aged kid in school, 6-year-old Mia. Mike said this week that he and Zara plan to send Mia back to school whenever the school reopens:
Mike Tindall has described homeschooling his daughter Mia, 6, as ‘nice but also frustrating’, in a candid interview about life in isolation. The former England rugby player, 41, who also shares Lena, 1, with Zara Tindall, 39, said the little girl could be ‘brilliant’, but admitted he felt children were less likely to ‘listen to their parents than others’.
Mike revealed that they were currently planning to send Mia back to school on the 1st June in line with government guidelines opening the doors to reception, year 1 and year 6 pupils next month, but admitted he was keeping a close eye on developments.
The father-of-two said they have hardly seen their neighbour Princess Anne, who has been busy with charity work, and said the WhatsApp group they share with the Cambridges and the Sussexes ‘hasn’t been that active’, revealing that ‘everyone is just getting on with it’.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Mike said: ‘Zara still has hopes that the horses will get back, they still need training and working on, so I get to be a teacher in the mornings which is sometimes really nice, sometimes really frustrating.I don’t think any child is a great home schooler because they definitely listen to other people better than they listen to their parents.’
And admitting he can get frustrated, he continued: ‘Mia enjoyed it the first week because it different being around Mum and Dad all the time. But then ultimately it’s the same people who are telling her off or telling her what to do and I think she gets bored of that. ‘
Explaining that the plan is currently for Mia to go back to school on the 1st June, Mike admitted there was no ‘ideal situation’, but said he felt it was important for children to have ‘some independence’.
For the longest time, Mike has been the most authentic “middle class” or “working class” voice in the royal family. He rather famously shut down speculation that he would ever approve of sending his kids off to boarding school, and he seems to want Mia and Lena to have a completely normal upbringing at home, perhaps even going to local schools rather than fancy private schools. This seems in line with that.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Backgrid and Avalon Red.
Isn’t it amazing how Mike was accepted by the family even after cheating on Zara shortly after their wedding?
Mike and Zara were skiing in Italy and refused to quarantine when they got back. I don’t know how seriously they take any of this.
On the other hand, seeing Kate’s face during their last in-person visit, I highly doubt the Cambridge children will be back in school in June. Even in the pictures of Charlotte helping, there were no pictures of other people around her.
They get away with A LOT. Upside of not having a title or as much media interest.
Wow, I didn’t know about Mike cheating but I also don’t understand why more hasn’t been made of them refusing to self-isolate.
In the UK, school summer holidays start during the last week of July and kids go back to school the first week in September. Reception is the first compulsory year of education. It would be a primary/infant/first school in the mainstream setting or pre prep for the privately educated kids.
I really don’t see many kids going back to school here, even if they do reopen. They’re only talking about reopening for reception, year one and year six anyway but most people seem terrified of the idea. Teachers mostly seem super against it and it seems a little uncertain with the government whether or not it will happen.
Personally I wouldn’t send my kids back. Not because of the virus because here in Norfolk rates are extremely low but because I think the environment would be super stressful for children. I would be concerned it was doing more harm than good.
Great point about children stressing.
True, they didn’t self-isolate, but they were following governmental guidelines at the time:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/feb/26/zara-phillips-will-not-self-isolate-after-italy-trip-coronavirus
Wow I missed the cheating story. Can anyone direct me to a link??
Sorry for the daily fail link:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2038083/Zara-Phillips-husband-Mike-Tindall-kisses-flirts-blonde-nightclub.html
But if you just google it and check the images results you will get the idea very quickly. If my memory is correct it was very soon after they married.
Not to mention the guy has been a bit of a Chatty Matty in the past. Some info doesn’t need to be dropped publicly sir.
I don’t know what it is about these particular pictures of Kate, but I can’t stand them. I don’t recall what circumstances were happening around this time, but I remember when these photos came out they seemed at the time another desperate “aren’t we just the perfect English famiy?!?” moment from the Cambridges. Kate looks particularly smug and phony in these and just looking at them makes me irritable and annoyed.
It’s Monday and I clearly need coffee…
What irritates me about these pics is that taking their kids to school counted as “work.”
I fell the same way when I see these photos. She comes across so fake.
Don’t want to be that person but it’s actually Tuesday. 😁
Thanks for reminding me,lol ! I thought it was Monday too.
Woops! I was off yesterday for the holiday so today feels like Monday.
Same! My thoughts seeing that picture was” I wonder how long it took her stylist to blow out her hair, and do her makeup for a 5 minute photo Op. Who actually got the kids ready ? I know she dang sure did not.”
I like the thing on twitter I’ve been seeing – “I’ll send my kids back when George and Charlotte go back.”
Logistically, they couldn’t stay at Anmer if Charlotte returned to school, so for that reason alone I think they’ll keep her home, since Kate prefers to be in Norfolk anyway.
It’s a tough decision though and I appreciate that Mike Tindall is being so open about how hard it’s been
I don’t think that they would go against government advice. If the government doesn’t extend the shut down then, I think, the kids will go back as soon as their school opens.
Sending Charlotte back to school would mean relocating the family to London, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they held off until September. A lot of private schools aren’t going back until then, so there may not be the option anyway, depending on what the school decides.
They’re really trying to reopen schools? They’re asking for a nasty wave of Covid. I wouldn’t send my child back and wouldn’t blame the Cambridges if they don’t either. I do wonder if they’ll be strong armed into doing so by the media and government.
The Fail has a hit piece where it says Katie Keen is exhausted and furious with all the extra work she has had to do since the Sussex’s left and that she and Willileaks feels the Sussex’s threw her children under the bus cause Mummy and Daddy have to work more and can’t be hands on parents.
Hmm, someone is feeling the heat and is trying to create an excuse to be lazy
Hilarious if true. Maybe show some support then instead of doing the exact opposite. And Kate has her bestie Sophie to help her.
The Cambridge stans were so derisive of Meghan for being upset that not many people had asked her if she was okay because privilege and stiff upper lip and Kate was also abused etc. So, what now?
Even the zoom calls are too much? Lord have mercy.
The daily fail have nothing to do but write crap.
Calling Bingo number incorrectly must be exhausting.
Oh no poor Kate is so exhausted having to make a few zoom calls, she’s just so over worked, and her poor children don’t even get to see her much because she’s away from them for a whole 10 minutes a day whilst she plays bingo with old ladies over zoom. I’m mean seriously, there are parents who are working on the front line in hospitals risking their lives and Kate has the nerve to complain about being over worked? How f*cking tone deaf are they. This is one piece that’s has actually got me mad, especially given the sacrifices people are making during this pandemic.
It isn’t a hit piece, it is taken from a new piece by the pro-Kate editor at Tatler. Kaiser tweeted about it. I expect she’ll do a post about it soon.
Given the current chaotic handling of Covid 19 in the UK, I wouldn’t blame William and Kate for not wanting to send Charlotte back to school for a few weeks. Most parents don’t want schools opening yet, if polls are to be believed.
Also, sending the kids back to school would mean returning to London and drawing attention to the fact that the Cambridges are locked down at their second home and not their primary residence. They seem to be exempt from the media criticism that other celebs faced for doing the same thing.
I mean their family has two direct heirs, there is zero chance they’re sending their kids back any time soon. I think Charles getting the virus had them all shook, like this thing could actually take out several heirs at once.
Mike is trying to be a politician, I’m sure I saw somewhere that the Sussexes quit the Royal WhatsApp last year.
Tattler doing another poor keen Kate is overwhelmed at the thought of the extra work, that’s the workshy Sussexes left for them to do, now they can’t be hands on parents (three nannies).
lol its pretty obvious they wont be sending them back to school & thanx to their agreement with the press they wont be called hypocritical or questioned for their “UNrelatable” privileged life when other people’s kids are back in classroom🙄
No way I’d send my preK kid back to school if I didn’t have to. Especially if it required my 5+ person family to relocate to a major city. She can learn to write letters and color worksheets at home.
Kinda weird that only a few school years are going back. I’d imagine a lot of families are in this position – one kid’s class is going back, the other is staying home. Of all the classes to stay home I would think kindergarten would be one of them.
The key adviser on this issue has been travelling around the UK while infected to check his eye sight or some other nonsense so there are rules for the plebs and rules for the rest. None of the kids should be heading back to school right now, but it would provide a mixed message if they didn’t. Many of those defending their visit to the first responders while not wearing PPE or social distancing because they were following “government rules” will have to take the position that they need to send Charlotte. I look forward to all those same people stating that government advice dictates they send her.
If they’re smart, they won’t. We might not even be able to open schools in the states in mid-August, especially with everyone flocking to parks and beaches and boardwalks.
Badmuthagoose this a point that I think few people understand, or want to understand, outside of these boards anyway. Our choices now will affect what we can do a few months from now. I wish more people would think about that before hitting the bars, not wearing their masks etc.