Yolanda Hadid Says Daughter Gigi Is a 'Phenomenal Mother' to 2-Year-Old Khai: 'Beautiful Thing'

Yolanda Hadid is proud of all three of her children, but when it comes to daughter Gigi's parenting skills, she's in awe at how good she is with her little girl Khai.

"Gigi is a phenomenal mother," Yolanda tells PEOPLE while discussing her partnership with Project Healthy Minds, a new millennial/Gen Z mental health tech non-profit that is creating a first-of-its-kind event designed to combat the stigma of mental health. "She's so good and so devoted. She's incredible with her baby and that, as a mom, it's a beautiful thing to see."

The 27-year-old model welcomed daughter Khai, 2, with ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik, 29, in Sept. 2020. The couple split after almost six years together in Oct. 2021 after Malik got into a heated argument with Yolanda.

After Yolanda's beloved mother Ans van den Herik died of cancer in 2019, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star admits she fell into a dark place. "I hadn't felt that kind of depression in 20 years," she says.

But having granddaughter Khai around makes things easier as Yolanda feels her mom's presence with her every single day.

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.

"I feel like my mom left us, and this beautiful soul came in and she's the light of my life," Yolanda says. "Losing my mom, there is nothing harder that I've ever dealt with in my life and it's broken me into pieces, but thank God for Khai because she brings so much joy and she makes me smile like nothing else. She's just such pleasure."

The TV personality, 58, has adapted to her new title of "grandma" quite well, noting the experience has made her realize how full circle life truly can be.

"My granddaughter is the light of my life," Yolanda adds. "I'm so grateful, because my mother wanted her ashes at our farm, so when my brother arrived from Holland with my mom's ashes, Gigi got pregnant that same week."

"She's so much like my mom. Things that she said. She's super stubborn. She loves all animals. She looks at little ants and little bees and she loves horses," Yolanda continues. "She loves all animals and my mom was very much like that too, so it kind of taught me that this is the circle of life. I never understood the words circle of life."