Larry Birkhead: "It's Hard To Flip From Friend To Parent"

It's been four years since Anna Nicole Smith's tragic death, but for Larry Birkhead, it's only gotten more difficult to talk about the late model and actress with daughter, Dannielynn, 4.

"Dannielynn knows that her mom passed away," Birkhead tells Us. "She obviously doesn't know the details.

At first I said, 'Your mommy's up in the clouds.' Then we were on a plane from Kentucky and she asked, 'Which cloud is my mom on? Maybe she can come play.' You have to be forthright but keep it on a kid-friendly level."

Though he's certainly learned a lot since being granted custody of Dannielynn in April of 2007, single-parenthood still proves to be difficult for Larry, who struggles to find the right balance between being a father and a friend.

"It's hard to flip from friend to parent," Birkhead admits. "I overcompensate because she doesn't have a mom and I probably give her more than I should," he tells the magazine, adding, "I'm working on cutting down on the shopping sprees."

For more on Larry and Dannielynn's life together, including their plans for Father's Day, check out the latest issue of Us Weekly on newsstands now.