Kelly Clarkson is sharing what she’s most thankful for this holiday season: her two children with late ex-husband Brandon Blackstock.
The 44-year-old singer opened up about daughter River, 12, and son Remington “Remy,” 10, while speaking with Us Weekly during the first week of live shows for season 30 of “The Voice” on Monday, November 9.
“With Thanksgiving coming up, I am so thankful for my itty-bitties,” Clarkson told the outlet.
The Grammy winner also shared how proud she is of the people her children are becoming.
“I love my children so much,” she said. “They are so much cooler than me, and I guess I’m doing a good job then.”
Clarkson welcomed River and Remy with Blackstock, who died in August 2025 at age 48 following a private battle with melanoma.
Kelly Clarkson Shares How She’s Helping Daughter River Navigate Junior High
Clarkson also discussed her parenting approach during an interview with E! News at “The Voice” live show.
The former “American Idol” winner said she tries to give her children room to make their own decisions while offering guidance when they need it.
“I’m a pretty progressive parent, so I’m like, ‘No, no. You’re gonna make your own mistakes, and that’s okay,'” Clarkson explained. “I’m not like an ‘I told you so,’ but I do implement advice.”
She said River has started dealing with the challenges that come with junior high school, including friendships and disagreements.
“They’re growing up,” Clarkson said. “One’s in junior high, and junior high sucks. It’s a hard age with friends, and arguing and stuff like that.”
The singer added that her daughter has occasionally acknowledged that her mother’s advice was helpful.
“I do offer advice, and I’ve had my daughter come back and be like, ‘So you were right,'” Clarkson shared.
Clarkson has also said her children’s busy schedules play a big role in her daily life.
During an appearance on “Today with Jenna and Friends,” she explained that she often goes straight from work to her children’s activities.
“I’m running from my show to baseball practice and I’m trying to be just there,” she said. “It’s a lot.”
‘The Voice’ Coach Shares Her Strategy for Helping Contestants
Along with discussing her children, Clarkson said she’s preparing her team for the competition on “The Voice.”
She told Us Weekly that she’s encouraging contestants to show different sides of themselves each week rather than sticking to the same type of performance.
“The conversations I’m really having with my team right now are all strategy and like, ‘Hey, make sure you’re releasing something a little bit new about yourself each week,'” Clarkson explained.
She said the approach differs from recording an album or performing on tour.
“When you get in the studio and you create, when you go on tour and you create, those are all different avenues,” she said. “This is a competition, so you’ve signed up to be a part of something that you need to have a bit of strategy with.”
Clarkson compared the process to playing a board game, where each contestant needs to think carefully about what to reveal to viewers.
Clarkson Previously Got Emotional Watching Her Kids on Television
During the show’s 1,000th episode in March 2025, producers surprised her with a montage featuring River and Remy’s appearances over the years.
“River and Remy, I love you so much. I’m so proud of you both,” Clarkson said.
“They’re just fearless and very bold. They’re more like me as an adult, not what I was like as a child, so they talk a lot too.”
A month later, River spent a day working behind the scenes on her mother’s talk show, shadowing showrunner Alex Duda.
The preteen attended production meetings and helped keep her mother on schedule.
“Oh my God! You have a mic and everything! You’re so fancy!” Clarkson told her daughter during the April 2 episode. “I love it. You’re like a little mini producer.”
Clarkson has also joked that her children’s friends often greet her using her full name rather than calling her River or Remy’s mom.
“They’ll be like, ‘Hi, Kelly Clarkson,’ and they’ll say my full name every time like it’s a game show,” she said.
Kelly Clarkson Gushes Over Her 2 Kids With Late Ex Brandon Blackstock Ahead of Thanksgiving