During the coronavirus pandemic, parents have had to take on the incredibly challenging task of homeschooling their children [1] whilst schools in the UK remain closed. Trying to balance this new responsibility with work and other daily tasks has been difficult for all parents — even the royal family. [2]

The Duchess of Cambridge took time out to chat with three other parents over Zoom for some "homeschooling quickfire questions" about home life during the UK's third lockdown. "We spoke with parents about the challenges that many families are facing during the third lockdown here in the UK - and how important it is to prioritise parents' mental wellbeing as it has a direct connection to their child's mental health," the caption on Kensington Palace's Instagram post read. [3]

"The conversation built on some of the key issues that were raised in The Duchess's landmark survey on the Early Years [4], such as parental wellbeing and loneliness. The research, which was released last November, revealed that parents struggle to prioritise their own wellbeing."

Among the questions asked were, "Out of 10, rate your maths ability after several months of homeschooling", which Catherine rated as -5, and we think a lot of parents can probably relate to that, though she was reassured that there were lots of online resources now to help with that.

Another question asked was to sum up parenting in a pandemic in one word. Among the answers were, "hectic", "patience", "challenging", and Catherine's response was "exhausting". "As parents you've got the day-to-day elements of being a parent, but during lockdown, we've had to take on additional roles that perhaps others around us, in our communities, or in our lives would've supported us with", Catherine candidly admitted after being asked what was exhausting about it. "I've become a hairdresser this lockdown, much to my children's horror, and we've had to become teachers, and I personally feel pulled in so many different directions," she added.

The session ended on a lighter note talking about the participants' greatest support during the pandemic, which Catherine unsurprisingly said was William.