Spanking as child discipline is widely debated, with the American Academy of Pediatrics calling it harmful and ineffective. Still, some parents support it — including singer Kelly Clarkson.
In a 2019 radio interview, Clarkson said she’s “not above spanking” her children, explaining she means light spanking, not hitting. She said she was raised that way in Texas and believes it worked for her.
Acknowledging the controversy, Kelly admitted disciplining in public can be awkward but said she sees nothing wrong with it. She added that she always warns her children first and believes the approach has helped reduce misbehavior.