Kim Kardashian is keeping it real about what it’s like raising four children while navigating co-parenting with ex-husband Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.
During the Oct. 15 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast, the SKIMS founder told host Alex Cooper that maintaining a stable parenting rhythm with the music mogul hasn’t been simple.
“I welcome a great, healthy relationship with kids and their dad,” said the 44-year-old. “I push for that all the time, but I also protect them when it’s time for that. And it goes in waves and phases and it’s a lot of work.”
The reality star revealed that it has been “a couple of months” since she or the kids have heard from Ye, 48. Even so, she explained that she keeps the door open for connection, allowing the children to visit their father wherever he happens to be.
According to the mother-of-four, while the kids live with her full-time, she still lets them travel to see him “all over the world.” Her honesty struck a chord far beyond celebrity circles. Comments flooded TikTok clips from the episode, with parents saying they understood exactly what she meant.
“Co-parenting is truly a universal struggle. No matter the money, location, background, it can be SO tough!!” one user wrote in solidarity of Kim. And statistics back it up. Per new data from the U.S. Census, it shows the number of children living only with their mothers has doubled in the past 50 years.
So what does healthy co-parenting actually look like? Psychotherapist and The Co-Parenting Handbook author Karen Bonnell told USA TODAY that it requires emotional maturity, clear boundaries, and communication rooted in what’s best for the child.
It’s “no small task,” she said. “But children ultimately benefit when parents do the work.” The author and psychotherapist explained that co-parenting exists on a continuum and begins with a thoughtful plan, one that balances structure and flexibility. She added that part of emotional maturity is “… the capacity to grieve the loss of the intimate partnership, relinquishing dreams that surround being part of an original family and allow the future to be whole and healthy.”
Even when one parent refuses to cooperate, she believes progress is still possible. “Skillful co-parenting doesn’t actually need both parents to work together,” she said. “One parent can commit to healthy, skillful co-parenting regardless of their child’s other parent’s interest or willingness to participate.”
According to the expert, what matters most, consistency, showing warmth, listening, and creating healthy boundaries for the children involved. “It’s not a question of whether you’ll co-parent,” she said. “The question is how skillfully you will co-parent.”
Kim Kardashian and Ye share four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm West.
Photo Credit: Kim Kardashian Instagram
