Culture December 15, 2021

Mariah Carey opens up about her parenting style

WATCH: Mariah Carey previews new Christmas special

Mariah Carey opened up in a new interview about how she keeps her 10-year-old twins grounded.

The "Fantasy" singer is mother to twins Moroccan and Monroe, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Nick Cannon.

"I'm going to have to quote 'Mean Girls' and be, like, 'I'm not a regular mom. I'm a cool mom.' There are no rules in this house," she shared while speaking to Us Magazine, before clarifying, "No, there are rules in this house, that's the difference."

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Carey went on to say why she can't fill the "cool mom" stereotype when it comes to parenting her twins.

"I don't like being the bad guy, I have to say," she said. "I really don't. I hate that more than anything. So, you know, I do want to be, like, 'I'm not really a mom, I'm a cool mom.' But you're never a 'cool mom' -- you just never are."

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The Grammy winner said part of parenting means helping her kids appreciate their life and not take it for granted -- especially the holidays.

"I feel like I need them to know that that's a big deal, that not everybody has that," Carey said, adding she didn't get to enjoy the kinds of Christmases she now puts on for her twins: "I didn't grow up with all the gifts in the land. I kind of love making their holidays great."

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Still, that doesn't mean her kids have fewer requests when it comes to Christmas.

"My daughter's Christmas list is like 66 items and I'm not lying," the singer told the outlet. "She texted it to me. I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'"