Clay Aiken Shares Rare Comments About Raising 16-Year-Old Son Parker

Clay Aiken is opening up about fatherhood!

In a new interview, the 45-year-old American Idol alum shared some rare comments about raising his 16-year-old son Parker, whom he shares with good friend Jaymes Foster.

Keep reading to find out more…“I’m just tough in general,” Clay told E! News. “I find that I appreciate criticism. I appreciate people pointing out things that I can do better.”

Clay went on to say that’s proud that he was able to give Parker a sense of normalcy growing up out of the public eye.

“We did a very good job, I think, for 16 years, keeping him completely out of the public eye,” Clay said. “I wanted him to be able to grow up as normally as he could.”

However, Clay did note that the family let Parker participate on Celebrity Family Feud over the summer.

“That was his first time,” Clay said. “I appreciate that he’s been able to have a normal—or as close to a normal—childhood, as he could.”

Clay then shared his thoughts on if Parker will be following in his footsteps and getting into the music industry.

“He’s had too much music in his life,” Clay explained, while also acknowledging that Parker‘s uncle – Jaymes‘ brother – is famous music producer David Foster. “He knows what he wants to do. He’s going to go a very different way.”

He added, “I’m proud of him. I’m thrilled for him. He can sing, though, he just doesn’t want to.”

Clay is returning to music with his first holiday album in more than a decade, Christmas Bells Are Ringing.

“Now was the right time to get back into music in general and sing,” Clay shared. “I had taken time away to both be a dad—you know, my kid was growing up, and I didn’t want to be away.”

Amid his break from music, did you know that Clay got into politics?