Kelly Clarkson Shares Her Thoughts On Parenting With Her Most Relatable Advice

"No one can do it alone."

Stephanie

• Published in Film & TV
• June 6, 2022

Superstar Kelly Clarkson not only has an incredibly successful career, but she's also a hands-on mother of four. And the singer has often spoken candidly about the many ups and downs of parenting.

Kelly and her ex-husband, Brandon Blackstock, have a daughter and a son together, River and Remington. Brandon also has two children from a previous marriage, Savannah and Seth.

Both Kelly and Brandon are very family-oriented. The pair met in 2012 and were married one year later before welcoming their children in 2014 and 2016.

In 2019, Kelly, Brandon, and their four children attended the Ugly Dolls movie premiere as a family. The American Idol winner relished the moment and later shared some sweet pics from the event on Instagram.

"So happy to have my family with me for the Ugly Dolls movie premiere," she wrote. "Such a great movie with a wonderful message!"

The family was picture-perfect, all dressed beautifully and smiling for the cameras on the red carpet. Kelly beamed with pride for her sweet family.

The Voice coach loves to talk about her children, and there's no denying that being a mother is her favorite job of all. On the other hand, pregnancy wasn't exactly a breeze for Kelly.

"Honestly, the first one was really rough, and I was like, 'Oh, it can't happen again,' and no, it happened, like, way worse the second time," she said. "I just get hospitalized, and I have to get fluids."

"It's just, like, my body was not made to be pregnant," Kelly continued. "That's real-talk right there; pregnancy isn't easy."

While the three-time Grammy winner may not have been built for pregnancy, there is no doubt she was meant to be a mother. Keep scrolling to read some of Kelly's words of wisdom on parenting.

In 2019, Kelly, Brandon, and their four children attended the Ugly Dolls movie premiere as a family.

The pair met in 2012 and were married one year later before welcoming their children in 2014 and 2016.

Mom Guilt

In 2016, Kelly admitted that she feels guilty a lot of the time for taking time away from her children. "I have a lot of mom guilt," she said.

"If you're a mom, you want to be with your kid every day," Kelly explained. "You don't want to miss a moment."

Kelly says she has a hard time letting go of her kids when it comes to work. "You want her to need you and want you and not want somebody else," she said.

"But I think it's really important for my little girl and our 15-year-old girl and our boys to see that a woman is capable of kicking ass while also being a kickass mom," the singer said. "I'm not gonna BS you; that's hard."

Of course, some days are much more difficult than others. "There are days where I cry, and I'm like, 'I don't know if I can handle all this,' or get it all done," she said.

"But at the end of the day, 99 percent of the time, it's awesome, and it's worth it, and that's what I say to myself," the star said. After all, being a parent is the most rewarding job there is!

Feeling The Fear

Kelly says that having children has brought out anxiety in her that she never had before. "Literally, having children has brought fear to my life," she said.

"That sounds horrible, I know, but before kids, I was fearless," Kelly said. "Now I go to bed, and I have nightmares of someone just grabbing my little girl and running."

Kelly says the fear comes from worrying about being able to protect her kids. "I'm a mama bear," she said.

Instill Confidence

"I believe actions obviously speak louder than words, it's an old saying, but it's very true," Kelly said of setting a good example for her kids (especially her daughter). "I try to just be a confident female for her."

Kelly's husband also takes an active role in providing a good role model for their kids. "I'm glad our boys and also our girls have a man to look up to, who shows them, 'This is how you treat a woman, this is how you respect a woman.'"

"He takes his daughter on dates and shows her, 'This is what a guy should do.'" Those are some lucky little girls!

That's A Wrap

When asked if she wanted to have more kids in 2017, Kelly said, "Oh God, the tubes are gone!" "We don't even speak of it," she said.

"I'm just like, 'Guys, I have the worst pregnancies ever; it can't happen again!'" Kelly said. It looks like it's a wrap for Kelly and Brandon in the kids department.

Teach Them Young

Kelly says it's crucial to explain current events to children and teach them what's right and wrong. "There's bullying, there's sexual harassment, and there's a rape culture in schools," Kelly said.

"It all starts young," she said. The singer believes it is important to ask children what they think the right thing to do is and help them understand why people do bad things.

It's an ongoing process that needs to begin as early as possible. "That's the only way, long term, this world is going to get any better," Kelly said.

"No one can do it alone."

Even the best parents need help sometimes. "No one can do it alone," Kelly said.

Kelly and Brandon have a team of people helping them raise their four kids, including their parents, assistants, and two nannies. "They're the greatest gifts ever," Kelly said.

"We have our little village that helps us keep everyone's head above water," she said. "And also aren't afraid to say, 'Hey, you guys are taking on too much.'"

Sibling Rivalry

In 2018, Kelly told Ellen DeGeneres about the sibling rivalry between her kids. "Remington will just full-on punch River," Kelly said.

"She'll wait until your back is turned, and she'll push him. She'll push him down and think we won't figure it out," Kelly said.

A Different Path

Kelly says she hopes her children won't follow in her footsteps when it comes to their career choice. "I seriously hope my kids are tone-deaf," she said.

"I hope they're like teachers or doctors or something," she said. "It's a hard industry."

Crushing

"My daughter is obsessed currently with Chris Martin," Kelly said. "She's in love with him."

Kelly says her daughter has a massive crush on the younger version of the Coldplay frontman. "She doesn't understand that he's not the boy in the 'Yellow' video," she said.

The Hard Stuff

Kelly's son, Remington, has had difficulties learning to speak. "He had a speech problem because he had this ear problem when he was a baby," she said.

"Way down in his ears, he got clogged up with a ton of wax where we thought, almost, he was deaf because he spoke as if he was underwater." Thankfully, the problem wasn't as serious as they thought.

"We found out it was something simple, but it pushed him back almost nine months," Kelly said. "So we've been working really hard with his speech, and he's still doing his speech therapist via Zoom."

"The big milestone for us is Remy getting to really find out his own personality and his identity," Kelly said. "Because it's been frustrating for him to not be able to really vocalize his emotion."

Empowerment

Kelly says that becoming a mother has given her a different perspective on what's really important in life. "I've always been a confident girl; I've always felt sexy and intelligent," she said.

"But after becoming a mother, the amount of shit that you get done, you're so impressed with yourself!" Kelly explained. "It's the most empowering feeling because it makes you want to worry about the pettiness and trivial things a lot less."

The FOMO Is Real

Being a working mother isn't easy. The sadness and guilt that accompanies missing out on special moments with your children can be tough.

"When you work, you miss things," Kelly said. "And then you see pictures."

"It's awesome because you see them, but then you're like, 'Aww, you get to do the fun stuff, and I'm working.' But I love my job," she said.

A Little Bit Of Grace

Kelly knows the importance of not being too hard on herself as a mother. "Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, let yourself off the hook," she said.

"You are still getting it done; you are still productive. It's just working through time management as a new mom."

"There are moments when you will want to cry so hard, and that's okay," Kelly said. "But just try to laugh and let it go."

They Keep You Grounded

Kelly says her kids are great at keeping her grounded. They aren't interested in hearing her sing, and that's the way Kelly likes it.

"I'm like, 'People pay for this,'" Clarkson said. "It's kind of awesome because it keeps us humble - our kids don't care at all."

The Sad Stuff

When Kelly and Brandon filed for divorce, their main priority was ensuring their children would be okay. "We have a lot of help as far as therapists or child psychologists because we want to do it right," Kelly said.

Kelly says she also encourages her kids to feel their emotions. "Everyone's sad, and it's okay to be sad."

Balance Is Key

Spending quality time with her kids is important to Kelly. "I don't want to be one of those pop star moms that doesn't see their kids," she said.

"I want to hang out with them and be there," Kelly explained. "It's hard to be a really good mom and a really good person at your job, but I do have a village of people."

Explaining The Bad Stuff

In 2020, Kelly chatted to 50 Cent about explaining racism to their kids. "My little girl, River, is 6, and when she catches something, like the news, I just have to explain it simply," Kelly said.

"It's just like, 'Well, there's right and wrong. And this person was wrong, and that's why they're crying.'"

Kelly says racism is an important topic for discussion. "I think everybody needs to have that uncomfortable conversation that racism exists and that it's wrong."

Acceptance

Both Kelly and Brandon say they would accept their children no matter what their sexuality may be. "I just hope she finds love," Kelly said about her daughter, River.

The only thing Kelly and Brandon want is for their children to be happy. "As long as she's happy, I don't care either way, and neither does my husband," Kelly said.

Teamwork

Kelly says co-parenting can be difficult. "It's tough," she said.

"With me and Brandon, it's just a difficult thing because we're in different places," Kelly explained. "We both agree on the main things, but it's a hard thing when you're not together all the time, for me personally."

We think Kelly and Brandon's kids are pretty darn lucky to have such amazing parents. The acceptance, dedication, and love they have for their children is so lovely to see.

We can't wait to see what the future holds for Kelly's little ones. With a talented mother like Kelly, there's no doubt they will do amazing things!

Stephanie