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Kelly Clarkson is teaching her 3-year-old daughter to 'stand up for yourself'

The singer said it's never too young to teach children to "speak out when something is wrong."
/ Source: TODAY

Kelly Clarkson believes it’s never too early to teach children to stand up for what’s right — and already has taken steps to instill such lessons in her 3-year-old toddler.

The singer’s younger daughter, River Rose, recently started school, giving Clarkson plenty of opportunities to talk about making good choices.

“I said, ‘You tell mommy if somebody does anything inappropriate. You stand up for yourself,'” she told People magazine at Variety’s Power of Women event.

“Even from a young age, I think you should instill that people, your children, should always stand up for themselves or speak out when something is wrong.”

Clarkson said she believes it’s critical to “start molding” children when they’re young so they can grow into “these very elevated individuals that help elevate society. It’s a really crucial time when you have children right now.”

That’s why she constantly encourages River Rose to look out for others.

“Not only for them, what’s happening to them, but maybe somebody in the class who you notice,” she said.

In addition to River Rose, Clarkson also has an 18-month-old son, Remington “Remy” Alexander, and two older stepchildren with husband, Brandon Blackstock.

Clarkson, who has a new album, “Meaning of Life, coming out later this month, told TODAY during a visit in September that she’s like any other working mother trying to master life’s daily balancing act of tasks. Even though her two youngest kids often accompany her on the road, "you miss things," she said.

While she misses those occasional milestones, she does her best to be present when it really counts.

"It's hard to be a really good mom and a really good person at your job," she said. "I don't want to be one of those pop star moms that doesn't see their (kids). ... I want to be there."