Kelly Clarkson is being praised by a national parenting group for her latest parenting move.
Kelly is mom to two children River and Remington. And in a recent interview, Kelly went viral for one of her roles as their mom.
The singer and host says social media is not allowed in her house until her children are 18. As Kelly explained, social media is hard enough on kids, but it is especially hard on kids who have famous parents.
“[Social Media] can be really hard on kids in general but especially kids with parents in the public eye. So I have informed them they’re not allowed to, under my roof, ever have it.” Go Kelly!
However, she did add that when her kids are older, she is willing hear them out, “but until they have a solid argument, it’s a no.”
As TMZ reports, in a statement from The MomCo International, the group said, “We love that Kelly is making this bold decision for her kids and hope it helps parents normalize letting kids be kids without the added pressure of a digital life while they are still learning how to navigate life in 3-D.”
The MomCo International continued saying, “We’re convinced parents around the world are ready to follow Kelly’s lead, and hopefully our kids will eventually thank us for it.”
This isn’t the first time Kelly Clarkson made headlines for her parenting tactics.
In an interview with Atlanta Radio station 98.9 The Buzz in 2018, Kelly Clarkson confessed to spanking her daughter when she misbehaves and claimed that it ‘really helped’ her daughter overcome her naughty behavior. The 41-year-old singer received backlash then and she continues to receive backlash now.
“I’m not above a spanking, which people aren’t necessarily into and I don’t mean like hitting her hard, I just mean a spanking,” she said in the resurfaced interview, adding that her parents spanked her and she ‘did fine in life’ and feels ‘fine about it,’ so she sees nothing wrong with doing it now that she’s a parent.
.@kelly_clarkson says "I'm not above a spanking" when it comes to her 3-year-old. pic.twitter.com/wP3F6Jb8kY
— Good Morning America (@GMA) January 10, 2018
She called it a ‘tricky thing when you’re out in public’ – especially since most people think it’s wrong to spank children – but argued that it never happens at random and she always warns her daughter before spanking her when misbehaving. “Honestly it’s really helped. She doesn’t do that kind of stuff as often.”
“My mom would call the principal if I ever ended up in the principal’s office and give permission for her to spank me,” she said – something that was common during her childhood, but not so much today. “Then I’d get spanked at home as well. I’m a well-rounded individual with a lot of character, so I think it’s fine.”
Kelly Clarkson defends spanking her children https://t.co/WFgKCttEKj pic.twitter.com/OdVitGbdYp
— FOX 32 News (@fox32news) January 11, 2018
So, why are her comments resurfacing more than five years later? Well, the internet never truly got over the comments and they’ve actually resurfaced numerous times before. They most recently resurfaced in April when she opened up about the impact her divorce from Brandon Blackstock had on their children.
She talked about how she asks her children – now 9-year-old daughter, River Rose, and 7-year-old son, Remy Alexander – if they’re happy and, if not, what would make them happier. She recalled how her children would often respond by saying, “I’m just really sad. I wish mommy and daddy were in the same house.”
Kelly Clarkson went on to praise her parenting style because she feels she’s raising the type of individual who will be honest about their emotions and feelings. “I think communicating with them and not treating them—not treating them like an adult, because they’re not—but not treating them like a child,” she added.
Kelly Clarkson Receives Mixed Reactions From Fans
When Kelly Clarkson first confessed to spanking her daughter (back in 2018), she was met with mixed reactions. While some fans supported her decision and share their own experiences with spanking, others were critical of it and cited recent studies that show the negative long-term effects of spanking children.
“Spanking is disgusting, unacceptable and is a basically a form of physical violence and is abuse. You may have turned out “fine”. But continuing violent disciplinary fear tactics instead of teaching is frankly abuse apologist and triggering to abuse survivors,” one user wrote on Twitter in 2018 – tagging Clarkson.
That sentiment was shared by several experts, who argued that ‘corporal punishment does not work in the long-term’ and ‘loses effectiveness over time.’ Now five years later, the number of people who oppose her decision has risen and, while there are still some who support her, the critics are outnumbering them.
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It’s important to note that spanking your child is legal in all 50 states. Of course, this isn’t the same everywhere – parts of the United Kingdom prohibit smacking your child unless it’s deemed a ‘reasonable punishment.’ Wales prohibits all forms of physical punishment.