AJ McLean Says He 'Loves' to Do School 'Drop-Off' When He's Home: 'I'm the Only Dad'

Daniela Avila
·3 min read
aj mclean
aj mclean

Greg Doherty/Getty Images

When AJ McLean isn't on the road, he loves getting into full-fledged dad mode.

Speaking to PEOPLE about his partnership with Mr. Coffee, the Backstreet Boys member opened up about balancing life as a musician with fatherhood — and how coffee is oftentimes his saving grace for getting it all done.

The Backstreet Boys wrapped up the North American leg of their DNA World Tour earlier this month, and McLean is happier than ever spending time with his family during his short break.

"Since I've been home, I've kind of hit the ground running," the vocalist, 44, tells PEOPLE. "I've been busy, but my kids are back in school now, so I've been able to spend a little bit more time with my wife because obviously when my kids were homeschooled — God bless all the moms out there, because I don't know how many dads were really doing it."

He adds of wife Rochelle, 40, "Let's just be honest. The moms were holding it down. And my wife literally is the hardest working person in this household by far."

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aj mclean
aj mclean

Aj McLean/Instagram Aj McLean with daughters Elliot and Lyric

RELATED: AJ McLean's Wife Takes Their Girls to Lady Gaga Concert After Announcing Daughter's Name Change

And though their household is a busy one between his career and his daughters' dance and school schedules, what he cherishes most is their time to wind down together at night.

"When we wind down at night, it's movies or my kids still want to dance at night, so we have dance parties here at the house," he explains of daughters Elliot, 9 — who recently changed her name from Ava — and Lyric, 5. "I do mornings and I do nights. That's my thing. That's my thing that my kids love. I do bedtime. I have always. I tell them the exact same story every night. It's been my staple."

Part of his morning routine is dropping off the girls at school — which he admits he "loves" doing as a dad.

"It's funny because I feel like I'm the only dad that does drop off. It's all the moms in the vans," he says. "It's like, 'Hi guys!' "

He continues, "All the moms are right in the perfect age range of Backstreet Boys fans, so there's that variable as well, which is kind of cute."

But if there's one thing that keeps McLean running and capable of doing it all, it's his daily cup of joe.

"With my schedule and as tired as I get, coffee helps when I come back home off the road and I got to jump into dad mode and I got to keep up with a 9-year-old and a 5-year-old. Coffee is life, man, coffee is life."

In honor of National Coffee Day on Thursday, McLean partnered with Mr. Coffee for the #IWantItLatte sweepstakes — showing fans how easy it is to make coffee their way, with the Mr. Coffee® Latte, Iced and Hot Coffee Maker.

aj mclean
aj mclean

Mr. Coffee Aj McLean

RELATED: AJ McLean's Wife Explains Why Daughter, 9, Changed Her Name to Elliot: 'Not a Gender Thing'

Beginning Tuesday, fans can comment on McLean's sweepstakes post on TikTok with their favorite coffee drink for a chance to win a personalized song by McLean that's inspired by their drink. In the end, five fans will win a song and a Mr. Coffee Latte, while 25 more will win the coffee maker.

For McLean, a white chocolate mocha is everything — and as he gears up for the European leg of the band's world tour, he prides himself in being the "official tour barista."

"I just love to make coffee and to be able to kind of experiment and try different syrups and different flavors. And also I'm really curious to see what my band mates make and what they want to make," he says.

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