“I look at my daughter constantly and I’m just like, ‘Look, I’m trying my best,’” Clarkson said. “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 help out.”
She acknowledged the evolving understanding children gain as they age: “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 bit more empathy than you might have had in your 20s.”
Clarkson shares her children with ex-husband Brandon Blackstock, who tragically passed away this past summer. Sources told PEOPLE that Clarkson was “heartbroken” for the kids, emphasizing that they remain her top priority. “Her kids are her entire world, and she’s staying strong for their sake,” one source said.
Reflecting on her approach to parenting, Clarkson has stressed the importance of honesty and vulnerability. In a 2022 interview with Variety, she explained: “Don’t hide everything from your kids. Obviously, don’t talk about stuff that you shouldn’t talk about, but it’s okay if they see you cry, or it’s okay if they see you’ve had a bad day.”
She added, “You start to feel that kind of shame, like, ‘I’ve got to put my best foot forward as a mom because I don’t want them to be affected.’ But then you allow your kids to express empathy, and they learn how to say, ‘Oh, man, I’m sorry you had a hard day.’”
Through heartbreak and parenting challenges, Clarkson continues to prioritize authenticity, teaching her children resilience, empathy, and the understanding that even parents aren’t perfect.
