Life with Kelly Khumalo Seasons 1-3: Kelly’s got that old-school mom energy

While many South Africans fell in love with Kelly Khumalo because of her angelic voice, she’s slowly capturing the hearts of some for her role as a mother. The musician’s relationship with her children, Christian and Thingo, has been interesting to watch. She’s giving viewers some “old-school mom energy”, showing her serious and comedic side as a parent.

While we’re still enjoying Life With Kelly Khumalo Season 3, there were a few moments on Season 1 and Season 2 that have shown just what kind of mom Kelly is. Check them out below.

Season 2 episode 12: Mental health check

From what we’ve seen on the show, Kelly is a modern mom who wants the best for her children. This isn’t just about material things, but she also wants them to be at their best mentally and emotionally. Kelly has prioritised her babies’ mental health and that can be clearly seen in one of the episodes in the second season.

While catching up with both her kids, Kelly asked Christian whether or not he likes therapy. She further wanted to know what he talks about in his sessions, and he replied: “She just talks about things… What happens at home, what happens at school.” Kelly wanted to know if he thinks going to therapy is helping. “In a way that I can’t understand, but I feel good about it,” Christian responded. Kelly told her mother that Christian seems very peaceful and has been out of trouble for some time. “It looks like therapy is helping us really observe every step of his life,” she said.

Season 1 episode 8: Keeping it 100

Some people grew up in homes where things were swept under the carpet and never addressed. This is not the wisest thing to do because it creates a culture of secrecy and an environment where some conversations can’t take place. Fortunately, Kelly is choosing to raise her children in a space where uncomfortable subjects are discussed and she brings the conversation to their level of understanding.

When her mother pulled another one of her disappearing acts in Season 1, Kelly saw fit to speak to Christian and Thingo about it. She tried to make them understand the root of her clash with their grandmother. “So, let’s talk about Grandma,” she said. Kelly then asked them how they feel about her being gone. Thingo and Christian mentioned that they were sad.

She explained: “It’s very important to me to talk to my children because this is their grandmother and she is a very significant part of their lives. So, if they wake up and their grandmother is not there I need to sit them down and make them understand that this time around I don’t know her whereabouts.” Kelly told the kids that Grandma never wants to have a conversation. “She runs away instead, she avoids sorting out issues,” she said, adding that it would just be the three of them if Grandma’s gone forever.

Season 1 episode 9: Christian and Thingo don’t believe the hype

Remember when we mentioned that Kelly has a comedic side? Well, this came through when she wanted to tell her children about her billboard. The entrepreneur has her own brand of gin and a billboard advertising the beverage was created. This is obviously a milestone for the mother of two and she had to share it with her kids. She told them about a “surprise” and they were excited.

On the way, Christian and Thingo were convinced that Gold Reef City would be the surprise because they passed it. “I have something cooler than that,” Kelly excitedly told them. When they got to the billboard, they all got out of the car and Kelly said: “Mommy is on a billboard.” However, she was the only one who was excited and her kids were not having it. Christian kept reading what was written on the billboard and even moved closer to have a better look.

When asked if it was cool, he said “aha”. She asked Christian to take a picture of her with the billboard in the background. Meanwhile, she also noticed that Thingo was also not moved. “This is her inheritance, it’s her trust fund but she isn’t bothered. She probably thought we are going to Gold Reef City but instead, I showed her a billboard. Thingo isn’t interested in my billboard.” As if that wasn’t bad enough, all the pictures Christian took were “horrible”, according to Kelly. “Christian is my very own photographer. Wherever we go, even at home I trust him, but today isn’t working out.”

Season 2 episode 10: No English allowed

Another funny moment has to be when Kelly corrected Christian’s “incorrect” English. During his birthday party, Kelly asked: “Where’s Christian? Why did she (Thingo) bring this?” Christian responded by saying, “She brang them, not me.” Kelly, with a confused and very serious look on her face, said: “Brang or brought? I don’t send you to school to speak broken English.” She immediately walked away. “The English I speak, I learn from the streets. So, my goal as a parent is that my kids speak fluently because I pay a lot of money into their education. I get offended when they don’t speak properly,” she explained.

Kelly as a parent is such a vibe. Which moment did you enjoy? Watch new episodes of Life with Kelly Khumalo S3 every Tuesday on Showmax.