The challenges of working motherhood. Kim Kardashian is one of the most famous women in the world, but she has trouble getting her kids to sleep just like any civilian parent.
The Skims cofounder, 42, opened up about the “chaos” of parenting four children during the Monday, May 22, episode of Jay Shetty‘s “On Purpose” podcast. “Everyone says the days are long and the years are short, and that couldn’t be a more true statement,” the Hulu personality explained. “When you’re in it — especially when they’re babies and you’re feeding and there’s madness going on — it’s, like, full madness. It’s the best chaos, though.”
The Kardashians star shares daughters North, 9, and Chicago, 5, and sons Saint, 7, and Psalm, 4, with ex-husband Kanye West. The Selfish author and the rapper, 45, called it quits in February 2021 after nearly seven years of marriage.
The reality star — who shares custody with the Grammy winner — made it clear that she loves being a mom, but she joked that parenthood isn’t exactly a walk in the park. “My mornings? You have no idea what’s going on,” the California native said. “I always have to do one of my daughters’ hair, and it has to be perfect and it has to be a certain way, and then this one needs me to put his shoes on. They all need you, and it’s, like, full crazy madness — cooking, running around. That’s why I need my workout in the morning, to prepare for the two hours of craziness.”
Despite the difficulties that come with parenting four children in different stages of their development, the Kourtney and Kim Take Miami alum said that she’s learned a lot about what she can handle since becoming a mother.
“Parenting is the thing that has taught me the most about myself,” she told Shetty, 35. “It has been the most challenging thing. There are nights I cry myself to sleep. Like, what happened with all the moods and the personalities? And sometimes they’re fighting and there’s no one there, it’s me to play good cop and bad cop. So, that is definitely a challenge. Something I’m working on is being a little bit firmer.”
Kardashian went on to say that bedtime causes some of the biggest blowups at home. “Sometimes it’s nights where we are going hour by hour to see if we’re gonna survive. Night by night,” she quipped. “If a tantrum comes in — oh, my God. Your life is completely upside down. But it teaches you so much more about yourself than I think any parent could have ever anticipated.”
The Dancing With the Stars alum also discussed how her kids feel about her fame, noting that she tries to let them have as normal a childhood as possible despite the public interest in their lives. “I think they grew up seeing the cameras and they grew up seeing that, even as babies,” she said. “We’d walk out and there’d be paparazzi, so it’s not really something that they acknowledge a lot. But [North is] really vocal. She’ll tell them when she doesn’t want them around and to leave her alone and to stop, and I love that they use their little voices.”
Despite the global fascination with the Kardashian-Jenner family, the beauty mogul said there’s still one place in the world they can go and have a relatively normal tourist experience: Japan. “Everyone’s really respectful — even if they might recognize you they don’t ask for photos,” Kardashian told Shetty. “It’s a really amazing experience. … Listen, I love my life. I love everything that comes along with it. I’m not complaining. But a little glimpse of that especially for the little ones is so good.”
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