American Idol Alum Clay Aiken Comments on Parenting His Look-Alike Son Parker, 16

Clay Aiken, the runner-up from American Idol, recently shared insights about being a father. In a candid interview with E! News, Aiken discussed parenting his 16-year-old son, Parker, and the deliberate choice to shield him from fame. At 45 years old, Clay expressed pride in providing Parker a sense of normalcy.

"He's been able to have a normal — or as close to a normal — childhood," Clay remarked. He highlighted his parenting style, stating, "I'm just tough in general." Aiken, who co-parents Parker with Jaymes Foster, values constructive criticism that can enhance his parenting approach.

Clay took pride in raising Parker away from public scrutiny. "We did a very good job, I think, for 16 years, keeping him completely out of the public eye," he noted. This decision was rooted in his desire for Parker to have a typical childhood experience.

Born in August 2008 through in vitro fertilization, Parker was a product of Clay's friendship with Jaymes, a music producer and sister of David Foster. Despite not being romantically involved, they agreed to join forces in raising Parker.

The family made a rare exception when Parker appeared on Celebrity Family Feud in August. In this special moment, Clay introduced Parker, remarking, "This is my son Parker making his TV debut." Reflecting on this experience, Clay expressed gratitude that Parker has enjoyed a relatively normal childhood.

During the Celebrity Family Feud episode aired on August 6, Parker’s family competed against his uncle David and aunt Katharine McPhee Foster. Aiken noted Parker’s strong inclination to pursue a path outside music, despite coming from a musical family. "He's had too much music in his life," Clay told E! News. "He knows what he wants to do. He’s going a very different way. I’m proud of him. I’m thrilled for him. He can sing, though; he just doesn’t want to."