Kelly Clarkson isn’t like the other celebrity moms out there. For one, she really doesn’t pay much attention to what her critics have to say. She’s the kind of person who will first focus on her family and their needs, her work, fans and friends, and put the opinions of the naysayers last.

Sure, Kelly might be one of the most successful women in the music industry, but at the same time, she doesn’t let all of the fame and celebrity stuff get to her. As a mom, she has her children in mind with every decision that she makes, and at the end of the day, she wants what’s best for herself and her family.

Here is a list of 20 things that fans probably didn’t know about Kelly Clarkson’s family and how she likes to parent her children at home. If there’s one thing that Kelly wants to do, it’s making sure that her kids always remain grounded and grow up to be kind, good people who will make a positive impact on this world. Plus, they are so darn cute, as well!

20 She Doesn’t Do Mornings

This is something that many mothers can definitely relate to: Kelly Clarkson has a hard time getting up in the morning, no matter what she did the night before. Yes, it’s that exhaustion that we all feel from being both working mothers or staying-at-home moms because let’s face it, we get very little personal time off with this job we like to call motherhood.

Luckily, Kelly does feel the best when the sun goes down and when the kids are about to go to bed. That’s when she has her most energy. “I love the night,” she says. “I am a vampire.”

19 She Quilts To Get Rid Of Stress

It’s without a doubt that we all have different ways of relieving our stress and yes, Kelly Clarkson is no different. After all, she does feel a lot of pressure, especially when she’s touring on the road and she still has to fulfill all of her parenting obligations.

Luckily for Kelly, she has a very creative outlet: she likes to quilt. We bet a lot of her fans probably didn’t know that about her. It helps her wind down after a long day. “I love putting on vinyl and having wine and quilting,” she says. “It’s fun. I’m not great at it, but I like it.”

18 River’s First Nutella Experience

Believe it or not, Kelly actually got a lot of criticism for giving her child Nutella for breakfast.

"I didn't know about it for almost a week," she said. "My kid had Nutella on toast and you would've thought I literally fed my kid [something dangerous]. I didn't even know it was happening for five days, and my mother-in-law was like 'So, the Nutella thing.' And I was like, 'It's good. What are we talking about?' I had no idea, and she informed me in my kitchen that the world was in an uproar!"

17 She’s A Social Media Mom

While there’s a lot of celebrity moms out there who go to great lengths to make sure that their children’s privacy is well protected, Kelly doesn’t it take it to that extent. In fact, she’s a happy social media mom, which means she loves share behind-the-scenes photos of her two children, River Rose and Remington Alexander whenever she can.

Of course, her fans don’t mind at all as they are two very adorable kids! She also loves to talk about all of her quirky parenting stories in her media interviews, too. Kelly knows their privacy is important, but she also knows that she’s a mom and celebrity figure in the spotlight as well.

16 She Uses The ‘Walk Away’ Method

Apparently, Kelly does what a lot of other moms do almost all the time: she uses the “walk away method.” According to the Today Show, Kelly says that when things get bad, she reminds herself to walk away before they get ugly.

In other words, she gives herself time to cool down before she tries to fix the situation between herself and her kids. She doesn’t try to diffuse the issue until she can speak in a calm, more settling manner. It’s not always easy to walk away from your kids but some moms like Kelly swear that it works.

15 She Grounds Her Kids In Their Rooms

According to the Today Show, Kelly grounds her kids a little differently than most of us do. In fact, she makes sure her kids stay away from their rooms. According to the Today Show, grounding “involves being forced to hang with the rents 24/7, with not one toe allowed into personal space. Your mother even gets your clothes for you.”

For some people that might seem a bit harsh, but for Kelly it seems to be working. A lot of parents think that grounding their kids in their rooms is a good idea but in all honesty, it’s like a vacation for them. Your best bet is to make them sit in the living room with you!

14 She Enforces Nap Time

We always knew there was a good reason why we loved Kelly Clarkson so much. She values a good midday nap just like the rest of us. There’s nothing wrong with a little shut eye in the middle of the way.

Kelly once said (via the Today Show), “Naps keep people from being [bad]. Ummm, yes and that applies to moms, too.” That is something that we can definitely agree with! And while it probably isn’t always easy to get your kids to nap on time, many moms and dads know it’s essential, especially if things start getting out of hand (for both the toddler and parent!).

13 She Controls Screen Time

While Kelly Clarkson is a good, hands-on mom, she’s also a pretty strict mom, at least when it comes to screen time. The chart topper – like so many other parents out there – struggles to get her children off their electronic screens, devices and tablets when they’ve used it too much.

That’s why she does everything she can to make sure that their screen time is controlled and that no one is overusing their privileges. Kelly might be the kind of mom who can give her kids the best that the world has to offer, but she also knows that kids need limitations.

12 River Can Get Bossy

Kelly did once admit that her daughter River has a very strong character but where she gets it from, we may never know. (Hint: her famous mama!). She also likes to boss around her little brother Remington.

"She'll push him down and think like we won't figure it out, like how was he standing and now he is on the ground?" she joked, according to E! Online. Oh, the trials and tribulations of motherhood. We’ve all seen it before, right? A big sister thinking that she can get away with just about anything simply because she is cute (and she is!).

11 She’s A Mama Bear

Kelly Clarkson has made it no secret that she is a mama bear. Her number one job as a mother is to make sure that her kids feel protected at all times, and that’s exactly what she does. It doesn’t matter what the situation is, Kelly feels as though she always wants to be there to make sure her kids are safe, sound and happy.

She told Redbook Magazine, “I’m a mama bear. Just recently our nanny told me that an older kid was mean to my daughter at the park and that she just crumbled. I’m glad I wasn’t there, because I wouldn’t have handled that well. I totally went off on that 6-year-old in my head!”

10 She Listens And Doesn’t Chastise

When you are a working mom who also likes to be a hands-on mom, it gets very hard trying to focus at one task at a time (especially when you are used to doing so many things at one time). But for Kelly, she’s learned how to drop everything, listen, and most importantly, not chastise her kids, no matter what side of the story they tell her.

She also tries her best to stay in the moment, so to speak, so all of her focus is on her two children. She told the Today Show, “Listen to them. Like, really listen, without letting your brain jump to the next thing.”

9 She Makes Her Kids Feel Important

There’s no doubt in our minds that every parent loves their children to the moon and back and Kelly Clarkson is no different. As a matter of fact, the singer has said that she likes to make her kids feel important. Sure, she tells them that she loves them but at the same time she tells them just how much they mean to her and her life.

She told the Today Show, “Make your kids feel important. It’s so hard to find time for everything and everyone, but our kids need to feel like they are the stars in our eyes.”

8 She Has ‘Mommy And Me’ Time With Her Kids

We’ve said it before and we will say it again: Kelly Clarkson is a great hands-on mom. Yes, she’s just like so many other celebrity moms that have nannies and household help but at the same time she does her best to do things her way.

She values her quality ‘mommy and me’ time that she spends with her kids. What’s more, she would rather sit at home, snuggle and watch movies in bed than walk a red carpet on any given night. Kelly knows that they are only going to be toddlers for so long and that every moment with them is priceless.

7 She Takes Her Kids To Work With Her

Yes, Kelly Clarkson has no problem taking her kids to work with her. In other words, you can find River and Remington at the studio with her or better yet, backstage during one of her tour stops. These two cuties are living their childhood on the road. After all, their mother is one of the bestselling entertainers in the music industry!

While they might not know much of what is going on right now, it’s without a doubt that they will grow up to be very proud of their super talented mother (just like all of her fans are now!).

6 She Wants To Be A Better Person

Kelly has said multiple times in the past that she wants to be a better person for the sake of her children. Sure, everyone has their faults and no one is perfect, but Kelly has goals in her life. She wants to improve as a person, as a wife, and as a mother. She takes notes everyday and tries not to repeat any of her same mistakes.

During a TCA panel she said, “I know this sounds silly, but kids teach you to be a better human. They’re watching every moment, not only me at home but me sitting here with y’all.”

5 Wine Gets Her Through The Day!

What makes Kelly Clarkson stand out from the rest of the celebrity mom pack is that she is very genuine, transparent, and sincere with her fans. She also likes to tell things like it is, regardless if it’s good, bad or downright ugly. And when she is having a rough day, yes she likes to reach out for a glass of the good old “mommy juice.” We are sure you know what we are talking about!

“They are challenging,” Kelly said about her kids once, adding, “Wine is necessary. They’re great though. Out of the mouths of babes. They say stuff when you’re like “Damn.’ They call you out.” Oh, but that’s not all. She also noted, “They teach me.”

4 She Will Support Her Kids No Matter What

No matter what happens in the future, Kelly says that she will always support her kids, regardless of what path they end up taking later on in their lives.

When asked what would happen if River Rose chose unconventional love, she responded with, “Oh, I don’t care. I mean, here’s what I hope for her: I just hope she finds love. It took me a while, man. And there was a lot of heartache throughout those years. You know, as long as she’s happy, I don’t care either way, and neither does my husband. And we have two other kids as well, and we don’t care either way for all of them.”

3 She Doesn’t Listen To Her Critics

When it comes to motherhood, it’s without a doubt that everyone always has something to say about what you are doing right but more often than not – what you are doing wrong. But Kelly Clarkson is the kind of person who doesn’t listen to any of her critics. She trusts her gut instincts.

Kelly also tries her best, day in and day out. With a lot of love, patience, and laughter she makes it through her days as both an entertainer and a mom at home. The last thing she worries about are all of the naysayers who critique her life online.

2 Motherhood Has Empowered Her

Kelly has also said that motherhood has empowered her in more ways than one. She feels much better about herself than she did before she got married and started her own family. With that being said, she credits her loved ones for giving her the strength and confidence she always needed.

“I sound like such a tool, but becoming a mother has made me next-level confident. I’ve never felt more empowered. I feel like my 20s were spent walking on eggshells making sure everyone felt loved and not really expressing my opinion. As a mom, you just don’t have time, so you get straight to the point.”

1 Her Family Is All That Matters

At the end of the day, the only thing that really matters to Kelly is her family – that’s it. Kelly told People Magazine, “I have a certain level of peace I didn’t know was going to come with it… My best friend always says, ‘You just want to create the family you never had.’ I might be doing that. In defense of my family, it happens. People fall out of love, and people go separate ways. People are human. I’ve accomplished a lot, but I guess the biggest success I want is that whenever I'm gone, people will say, ‘She was so successful as a mother, and as a wife.’ That’s kind of my big goal.”