How Kelly Clarkson Is Helping Daughter River Rose, 12, Navigate "Hard" Junior High Years

Kelly Clarkson described her parenting style as "pretty progressive" in an interview with E! News, saying she allows her children to learn from their own errors rather than stepping in to prevent them. "I'm like, 'No, no. You're gonna make your own mistakes, and that's OK,'" she told the outlet. The singer said River is currently struggling with friendship issues in junior high. "Junior high sucks. It's a hard age with friends, and arguing and stuff like that," Clarkson said. She offers advice but avoids an "I told you so" attitude, and noted that her daughter has sometimes returned to acknowledge she was right. "I've had my daughter come back and be like, 'So you were right,'" Clarkson said, adding, "I've had them be like, 'OK, so I didn't do that, and I should have.'" A source previously told People that Clarkson's main priority is supporting her children through the loss of their father. In the same E! News conversation, Clarkson also discussed the new season of The Voice, where she is working alongside coaches Queen Latifah, Riley Green, and returning coach Adam Levine. She praised Latifah as a genuine legend across multiple entertainment fields and said Green is "crushing it on the charts." Clarkson described Levine as far more "chill" about his success on the show than she would be, noting he does not brag about his victories.