The Duke of Cambridge paid a solo visit to Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool on Thursday and was asked about his family by one of the hospital's patients.
While Prince William noted that it had been an "interesting week" since he and his wife, Kate Middleton, just announced they are expecting their third child and Prince George, 4, recently started school, the 35-year-old also made an "interesting" comment about his daughter, Charlotte.
"George rules the roost but Charlotte's not far behind," the proud dad said of his home life.
"She's going to be trouble when she gets older," he added. "All fathers say that to me, watch out for the little girls."
All fathers say that to me, watch out for the little girls.
Although William was likely joking about his two-year-old daughter, calling Charlotte — or any girl for that matter — a troublemaker is problematic. This is because it implies that Charlotte will cause issues for her dad, and men in general, in the future, which further plays into the idea of how women should be submissive.
Calling a girl a troublemaker can also allude to the fact that she is attractive and will make it hard for men to stay loyal in their relationships. This same connotation applies when calling boys heartbreakers.
In a blog post called "Don't Call My Son a Heartbreaker," mom Raina B explained, "Most people who say this mean only to compliment a young boy on his appearance, and make his parent(s) smile. [But] they are setting little boys up to believe that it is positive to disrespect women and break hearts."
The mom also noted that girls can be called heartbreakers, too. "No human being should think it is their right to hurt another person, simply because they are attractive," she wrote. "The things that are said to young boys and girls — about their gender, about dating the opposite sex, about their worth — can have a negative impact on how they behave later on in life!"
No human being should think it is their right to hurt another person, simply because they are attractive.
This is certainly true, especially if a child believes their worth is based on their appearance. Psychologist Nicole Beurkens previously told HuffPost Canada that "being complimented on appearance leads a child to believe that what others think of them is fixed, meaning that nothing they do or don't do will change how people view them."
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As a result, parents should try to compliment children on the positive values and qualities they have instead.
While we're sure William didn't intend his comment about his daughter to be negative, the point is that parents need to be careful of the language they use about and around their children. It might speak volumes.