Whether you’ve hopped fully onto the “nibling” train or are still just dipping your toes into the territory of, say, gray nursery decor rather than pink and blue, gender-neutral parenting is nothing new — and it’s here to stay. We’re particularly heartened when such visible parents as, say, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, aka Prince William and Kate Middleton, take a gender-neutral approach to show their adoring masses of fans that there’s truly no such thing as toys “for girls.”
People reports that the Duke and Duchess visited London Bridge JobCentre on Tuesday, where community engagement manager Lloyd Graham explained to them that he’s working on matching folks experiencing pandemic-related unemployment with jobs — specifically in construction and demolition. This, of course, is a major area of interest for the little royals (and small children everywhere BECAUSE TRUCKS). A few years ago, when Prince William drove a digger during a site visit, he noted that young George was “very envious” — and apparently that love of construction vehicles has been passed along from big brother to little brother.
“The children, especially Louis, would love to come and watch that,” Prince William told Graham of the 2-year-old prince. “To see the diggers, they love it.”
But Kate wasn’t letting William get away with perpetuating any boys-love-trucks stereotypes. Not on her watch!
“Don’t forget Charlotte!” Kate added. “She’d love it too.”
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And for what it’s worth, William seems to be quite good at skipping the stereotypes as far as his kids go — and making sure his only daughter feels fully equal to her brothers. Last year, he famously told 14-year-old footballer Olivia Hancock that he encourages kids of all genders to pursue sports, and thinks Charlotte could even best George at football.
Hancock told reporters that William “always tells his son: ‘Charlotte could be as good as you,'” when it comes to playing football. “It’s great to hear that Prince William is saying that to George,” the teen added.
At the JobCentre visit William also mentioned his lack of faith in men who do a traditionally “manly” type of work: fixing stuff around the house.
“In terms of DIY, men think they can do everything when it comes to DIY,” William told Sandra McNamera of Leyland. “I think that’s why everything falls apart,” he laughed.
Time for the family to sicc Charlotte on their digger and DIY tasks, perhaps?
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