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Kelly Clarkson shared insight into what she’s like as a mother to two young kids, revealing that she’s “trying my best” as a mom despite the curveball that come with parenting.
During the October 15 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson, 43, and guest Mariska Hargitay bonded over their struggles as parents.
“I look at my daughter constantly and I'm just like, ‘Look, I'm trying my best. I know you're gonna end up in therapy one day. I don't know what for, but I'm trying my best to limit it. Just like, help out,’” Clarkson jokingly said.
The “Since U Been Gone” singer shares daughter River Rose, 11, and son Remington Alexander, 9, with her late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock. The former couple split in 2020 and finalized their divorce in 2022 before Blackstock died in August 2025 at the age of 48 following his battle with cancer.
Clarkson went on to share that she believes a child’s perspective on their parents changes as they age.
“It is interesting, too — as we get older you understand even like if they might have been not great decisions for you,” she said. “You understand them in a different light, and you become a parent. You have a little but more empathy than you might have had in your 20s.”
Hargitay, 61, said she agreed with Clarkson, explaining that she’s experienced the realization in real time with her and husband Peter Hermann’s daughter Amaya, 14.
“My daughter was in gymnastics and she was in ballet, and she was so good at both of them,” the Law & Order: SVU star explained. “And then she said, ‘I don't want to do it anymore.’ And it's so hard because you're like, ‘Do I force them to do it?’ So, of course, I said, ‘Okay, honey. If you don't want to do it, then you don't have to.’"
However, she said that Amaya has had a change of heart as she’s grown up.
“Then she's 14,” Hargitay said. “And she goes, ‘Why did you let me quit ballet?’ I said, ‘Amaya, do you understand how hard it is to be a parent now? Do you get it?’”
In addition to Amaya, Hargitay and Hermann, 58, share sons August, 18, and Andrew, 13.
While Clarkson has been careful to keep her kids’ lives out of the spotlight, the recent admission is not the first time she’s teased her parenting style. Back in 2018, the American Idol alum told People that she was raising River to be a leader.
“She will run a company one day because there’s no way she’s gonna work for anyone,” she said at the time. “She does not heed advice very well. She’s just very ballsy, which is awesome.”
Clarkson continued, ”I don’t want my daughter to be a pushover when she’s older. So that’s an awesome thing, it’s an awesome aspect of her character.”
“At the same time, you also want to have an adult that doesn’t think they’re right all the time,” she continued of her daughter, who was 3 years old at the time of the interview. “But toddlers are just so egocentric and it’s just a stage that some people don’t grow out of, let’s be real. But mine will.”
