Kelly Clarkson Under Scrutiny For Disciplinary Methods With Her Children
Note: This story, which originally made the news in January 2018, is being republished.
Singer Kelly Clarkson faced accusations of child abuse after she disclosed in an interview her approach to disciplining her children.
In a conversation with Today, Clarkson, a mother of four, candidly discussed her parenting style, acknowledging that she is “not above” using spanking as a form of discipline if her children misbehave, a method she noted some people may not agree with.
The “American Idol” winner clarified that when she mentioned spanking her 3-year-old daughter, she meant it as a corrective measure rather than a severe punishment. “And I don’t mean like hitting her hard, I just mean a spanking,” she explained.
“I warn her,” Clarkson said. “I’m like, ‘Hi, I’m going to spank you on your bottom if you don’t stop right now — like this is ridiculous.'”
Clarkson defended her decision to use spanking as a disciplinary tool, citing her own upbringing. “My parents spanked me, I did fine in life and I feel fine about it,” she stated.
Addressing potential criticism, she added, “So that’s a tricky thing when you’re out in public, ’cause then people are like, you know, they think that’s wrong or something. But I find nothing wrong with a spanking … I’m from the South, y’all, so we get spankings. My mom would call the principal if I ever ended up in the principal’s office and give permission for her to spank me … I’m a well-rounded individual with a lot of character, so I think it’s fine.”
According to CafeMom, reactions to Clarkson’s admission varied, with some disagreeing that spanking is an effective form of discipline.
“I’m a Single mom with 3 boys,” one reader commented. “I never spanked my children because I taught them to be respectful. They’re all teenagers now. A/B students, athletes, and very respectful responsible people. Hitting a child doesn’t teach them anything other than it’s ok to hit when you’re angry or frustrated.”
Another Facebook user shared, “Spanking lets children think it’s ok to hit!! When they go to school it’s my experience working 30 years with children they hit to solve problems. It’s hard to teach children another way once this has been the practice.”
Despite some accusations of child abuse leveled against the Grammy Award-winning singer, others expressed support for Clarkson’s parenting decisions.
“Good for her, parents today do not discipline their kinds and that’s why there are a bunch of entitled brats running around the world who think they can get away with anything,” another reader wrote. “There is a line between discipline and abuse and she certainly knows the difference; that’s another problem that has developed in society.”
Sources: Today, CafeMom