Kelly Clarkson Explains Why She Won't Use Certain Words to Describe Her Kids

Kelly Clarkson thinks her three-year-old daughter, River, and two-year-old son, Remington, along with 16-year-old step-daughter Savannah, are all beautiful – but she isn't about to tell them that. The current coach on The Voice says those words have become even more prominent thanks to the popularity of princess movies, but she prefers to use other words to describe her children, ones that aren't so focused on their appearance.

"I'm not one of those people that's like, 'I hate princesses.' I think they're awesome, I know all the songs," Clarkson tells People. "But I make a point to always say other adjectives. It's not always like, 'Oh, you look beautiful.' It's like, 'Man, you're so rad,' 'You're stylish,' 'You're cool,' 'You're unique.' "

Clarkson, who calls Savannah "model-worthy gorgeous," says she hopes all of their children find their value in traits besides how they look.

"Anytime our little girl — our three-year-old — walks in, everybody's like, 'You're so pretty!' I don't mind her being pretty, I don't mind people saying it, but I don't want her to get boxed into that," Clarkson claims.

"I feel like sometimes that happens with girls. I always say 'cool' and 'fun,' and we use different adjectives," she continues. "I make a point to do that."

Clarkson, along with husband Brandon Blackstock, hopes her children learn to find value in the lasting qualities, and not just whether someone compliments them on the way they look.

"It's not all about that at the end," says Clarkson. "My husband and I are really blunt with our kids and I'm like, 'Pretty fades, character lasts.' Being fun lasts, being a good human matters and being smart is important."

"We're pretty blunt, we're probably hard on them, but it's fine," she adds. "I think people are too easy now. My parents were hard on me — or my mom was — and look, I turned out fine. I'm fine."

Clarkson learned first-hand how cruel people's comments can be, ever since winning Season 1 of American Idol in 2002. Living life in the public eye meant the Texas native often faced criticism for her figure, which is not stick-thin like many celebrities. But Clarkson remains unfazed by other people's opinions of her appearance.

"It's when I'm fat that I'm happy," she tells Us Weekly. "People think, 'Oh, there's something wrong with her. She's putting on weight. I'm like, 'Oh, no! I'm sorry, but that represents happiness in my emotional world. For me, when I'm skinny is usually when I'm not doing well."

Photo Credit: Instagram/kellyclarkson