The Duchess of Cambridge did a Zoom call with parents this week, and the subject was home-schooling in the pandemic, and parenting struggles in general. The other parents in the group have kids in the Roe Green Junior School, which is a school Kate visited three years ago to launch “Mentally Healthy Schools.” The parents were asked to write down words or answers to questions like “rate your math skills” and “what one word describes being a parent during the pandemic.”

For the math question, Kate wrote “-5? and joked “I’m obviously right at the bottom!” Which… her kids are small, the most George is doing right now is probably addition and subtraction, right? Maybe multiplication tables? It’s not like he’s in AP Calculus (true story, I aced AP Calculus!!). For the one word that best described parenting during the pandemic, Kate wrote “Exhausting.” I mean, I believe that her schedule is all out of whack with three small kids at home, but nanny Maria is there and the Cambridges literally have loads of staff who are still working – at times virtually – during the pandemic. Kate said, “As parents, we have day-to-day elements of being a parent, but, I suppose, during lockdown we’ve had to take on additional roles that others in our community and lives would have helped us with.”

Kate also said “I have become a hairdresser in lockdown – much to my children’s horror!” As a child, my mom traumatized me by cutting my hair, which explains my hatred of bangs. I wonder how Kate is traumatizing her kids about their hair? Here’s a little bit more:

Kate also told the group that her husband Prince William has been the biggest support to her during the pandemic. It was clearly the right response – as other parents answered their partners and other family members. “We don’t want it to be Bridgerton or something like that, do we?” quipped Loosemore.

As for parental loneliness, Kate said: “I know how challenging it is juggling work, home life, school life and everything else that you as parents are doing, so really well done. Fingers crossed, let’s hope for the positivity as you’ve all been saying. Make sure everyone looks after themselves — it’s very hard to prioritize but it’s definitely needed now more than ever. It’s important for our children that we look after ourselves too.”

[From People]

Kate didn’t confirm or deny that she’s watched Bridgerton, but I think it’s funny that a Netflix show got name-checked in her discussion, especially after all of that drama with Harry and Meghan’s Netflix deal, and The Crown. As for Kate’s Just-Like-Us normal-mum efforts, I think she was fine, honestly. I think it’s interesting that it still sounds like William just… isn’t there, physically or emotionally. Lockdown rose bushes must have been calling his name.

Photos courtesy of Kensington Palace, Backgrid.