‘The messier, the better’: Kate enjoys making imaginary cakes with children at family centre

Kate visited the centre at Home-Start Oxford to learn about the organisation which supports parents juggling home, work and family pressures.

The princess spoke to sisters Mariam Namakula, 30, and Sumayya Nabatanzi, 28, from Oxford, as their combined five children ran around having fun.

When one of the children injected Kate with a toy syringe, the princess was left with flour on the jacket of her trouser suit and she asked another child "what are you making, are you making a cake? Delicious".

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Ms Namakula said afterwards: "She was enjoying herself with the kids and said 'the messier it is, the better the fun'.

"Kate was saying Charlotte enjoys the outdoors and doing activities, and making things and how her kids are growing up fast.

"She said George is 12 years old and would soon be starting secondary school."

Earlier, Kate published an essay highlighting the importance of creating a firm foundation for the lives of children by helping them develop "strong social and emotional skills".

She also warned about the "epidemic of disconnection" created by smart phones and other gadgets, and urged society to "invest in the relationships you have with each other" in the piece written in collaboration with Professor Robert Waldinger, director of The Harvard Study of Adult Development.

Single mum-of-two Jasmin Ramdeen, 34, was part of a small group who sat down with Kate and discussed how Home-Start Oxford had helped them in their parenting and life generally.

Ms Ramdeen described the holistic support she received from Home-Start, from the visits to its centre in Oxford with her children to the one-to-one volunteer assistance provided over the past two years.

The 34-year-old said afterwards: "She's invaluable my volunteer lady Kylie, she's almost become like family, she's amazing. In terms of my mental health, talking to me about how I'm feeling - they cover everything.

"It's extremely overwhelming at times to do the mundane tasks but she gives me financial assistance, any debt relief, any problems with my benefits my housing she helps me with, it can be anything.

"They've basically become my village."

Home-Start is a national network of 175 local charities providing free support for families in homes and communities across the UK and last year it supported 60,000 families.

It is part of a group of more than 27 organisations using animated films, from Kate's Royal Foundation Centre for early Childhood, aimed at helping those working with families and carers explain the vital importance of social and emotional development.

During the visit to the Rose Hill Community Centre Kate chatted to Home-Start volunteers who had been watching the films and asked "what's the biggest challenges...your families face?" before suggesting it might be "carving out time" during busy lives.