Kim Kardashian is speaking candidly about the realities of co-parenting with her ex-husband, Kanye West.
In Jonathan Van Meter’s biography Citizen Kim: The Woman Who Created the Future, the mother of four reveals the lengths she goes to in order to protect her children’s relationship with their father.
“It is challenging co-parenting with someone who comes by every few months, but I’m always like, ‘Oh, Dad’s traveling,’ ” she said. “I still make up stories and protect [the kids] because I want them to think their dad is the greatest.”
Kardashian and West share North, 13, Saint, 10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 7. She often communicates with her ex through his wife, Bianca Censori, or his friend and manager, and regularly offers him time at the house with their children.
“Do you want to come to dinner? I’ll leave the house. Come and have dinner with the kids in their house so that they can feel comfy. Sleep over for a few nights?” she recalled.
That invitation also extended to Christmas Eve last year, when Kardashian suggested that West and his partner stay over for a family celebration. She plans to make the same offer again.
“I will sweep everything under the rug, all the horrible things he has said about me, so that the kids can see their father,” she said.
West’s relatives also have an open invitation to spend time with the children.
“I’m really close with his family,” Kardashian said. “I welcome anyone. I tell them all, open-door policy. Anytime you’re in town, come for dinner with us, see the kids as much as you want, take them out, come over and hang out. that’s their family. I encourage the relationship with their dad so much.”
Kardashian also tries to keep negative news about either parent from reaching the children. When she needs her household’s help, she sends a “lockdown” text.
“My whole household knows what a ‘lockdown’ means if I text it. Like, ‘We’re on lockdown.’ No TVs, just movies. No radio, just plug in a phone for music in the car,” she explained. “Not even, like, Sirius XM, because they talk about current events in real time. It’s like, They don’t have to be a party to this.”
As for how she and West get along, Kardashian said things have been “pretty smooth” for a while. They don’t talk much, but she said they hug when they see each other.
“I do everything in my power to forget about all the negative things that happened. I have to be realistic, and my therapist definitely tells me, ‘Your boundaries have to go up,’ but we manage to co-parent without too much conflict,” she said.
Despite her efforts to set boundaries, Kardashian still worries about her ex-husband.
“Oh, I worry about him all day. That’s the father of my kids. I’ll never not worry about him,” Kardashian said. “And that’s a big burden of having kids with someone who you don’t necessarily get along with. My kids would never know that.”
