Sia Describes Parenthood as 'Painful and Rewarding' After Adopting Two Teenage Sons: 'It's Hard'

"I just have to just keep reminding them that I'll be here, I'm never going anywhere, and I love them," Sia said of being a mom to her two adopted sons

Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

Sia is speaking candidly about the ups and downs of parenthood.

While chatting virtually with the Australian television program The Project on Sunday, the 45-year-old singer spoke openly about being a parent and the triumphs and challenges that come with it after she adopted two teenage boys in 2019.

Detailing to host Lisa Wilkinson that "one's doing better than the other," the "Chandelier" singer noted, "It's hard. It's been both painful and rewarding and all I can say really is that I just have to just keep reminding them that I'll be here, I'm never going anywhere, and I love them."

"I think it's just scary to have someone say 'I'll love you forever' when you've been in 28 different homes your entire life," Sia added.

Sia previously confirmed that she welcomed two sons into her family during an interview with SiriusXM's The Morning Mash Up in 2020, where she shared that she adopted the teenage boys when they were leaving foster care due to their age.

"I actually adopted two sons last year. They were both 18 — they’re both 19 years old now," she revealed in May. "They were aging out of the foster care system. Yeah, and I love them."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Later, in her October cover story for Vogue Australia, the musician opened up about her decision to adopt the two boys, explaining that the idea came about after she watched a documentary. "I am obsessed with reality television and documentaries, and I watched a documentary and saw my son," she said.

The "Together" singer explained that she felt an instant connection to the teenage boy after realizing he didn't have his own family. "I was like: 'What? Like, he doesn’t have anybody. Oh my God. I’m going to find him and I’m going to be his mummy.' And so that's what I did," she said. The star then ended up tracking down the boy and adopted him and his friend.

RELATED VIDEO: Sia Shocks Radio Hosts After Going to the Bathroom During Live Interview: 'I Have No Shame'

That same month, Sia also spoke candidly about her journey to motherhood in an interview with InStyle, where she detailed that she took several years for herself following her 2016 divorce, before "everything changed" when she watched that fateful documentary.

The singer went on to explain that motherhood hasn't been easy, noting the challenges of the foster care system that both her boys grew up in. "The entire system is so underfunded and understaffed that there are not enough people to really monitor how the kids are being taken care of," she said. "And now my sons very much want to be a part of that change, so I am trying to give them the resources to do that."

"Most of their lives they've been conditioned to lie and manipulate, so the past year has been all about teaching them how to become rigorously honest and live in the moment without using any substances," the mom of two explained.

"There has been a lot of heartache. There has been a lot of lost trust and then a lot of regained trust," she added. "But I do trust them both. And I'm proud because they've come a very long way."