Prince William Reveals ‘Crucial Motto of Being a Parent’ to George, Charlotte and Louis

Prince William mentioned a mantra he follows in parenting Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis at his latest engagement.

On Oct. 15, otherwise known as a school day for Prince William and Kate Middleton’s three kids, the Prince of Wales, 42, attended a community day organized by the NFL Foundation UK in London. The heir to the throne was given a football to take home to his children, and joked about a “crucial motto” for raising kids.

“Oh, that’s very kind. Never go home empty handed! That’s a crucial motto of being a parent,” Prince William said in a video shared by The Independent.

“That’s really kind of you. Thank you very much. We’ll do some practice together,” William continued. “See how many windows I can smash!” he added with a laugh.

The Prince and Princess of Wales are parents to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6. While Princess Kate, 42, has been outside of the public eye for most of this year while receiving cancer treatment, Prince William has often been presented with small gifts and taken home sweet treats for his family during public-facing royal duties. He has also made relatable revelations about what his kids are interested in lately, from Charlotte’s love of “dancing and performing” to how George, Charlotte and Louis are “always wrestling over the remote.”  

The Princess of Wales announced in a Sept. 9 video message that she completed chemotherapy treatment, and her husband and kids joined her in the footage unprecedented for its intimacy of their private life.

Prince William and Princess Kate are thought to have a tight bond with their three kids, and are breaking with previous royal generations by not sending them to boarding school. Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis are all students at Lambrook School, where they are day pupils and head home in the evenings. In contrast, Prince William and Prince Harry began boarding at the Ludgrove School when they were 8.

“Those children look pretty happy with life,” a palace insider previously told PEOPLE about the Wales kids. “A lot of it is the stabilizing normality Kate brings — and that’s how she grew up. William absolutely loves it.”

Despite their royal roles — especially Prince George, who follows his father as second in the line of succession to the throne — Princess Kate works to ensure her children’s childhoods are as normal as possible.

“Coming from a different background, she appreciates the importance of having family time,” a source close to the royal household said. “She wasn’t brought up in that aristocratic setting where you see the children for a short time each day.”

Princess Kate spoke about her family at the start of the message she shared on Sept. 9 about completing chemo, reflecting on how the challenges of recent months reshaped her perspective.

“The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family. Life as you know it canchange in an instant and we have had to find a way to navigate the stormy waters and road unknown,” the Princess of Wales said in part. 

“The cancer journey is complex, scary and unpredictable for everyone, especially those closest to you. With humility, it also brings you face to face with your own vulnerabilities in a way you have never considered before, and with that, a new perspective on everything,” she said.

Princess Kate said that she looked forward to “a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can,” and joined Prince William for an unannounced visit to Southport on Oct. 10. 

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The visit to the community grieving after three children were killed in a mass stabbing over the summer was Princess Kate’s first public engagement since she completed chemotherapy treatment. PEOPLE understands that the Prince and Princess of Wales wanted to visit Southport to show the community they have not been forgotten and that they’ll continue to stand by them.