KIDS often cringe at their parents’ antics or wish the ground would swallow them up when mom tells jokes in front of their friends.
But the Kardashian kids have some uniquely mortifying behavior to contend with, from nude photos to family drama splashed all over the news — and it may make some shrink away from the clan, according to a parenting expert.
But the 43-year-old may be making them squirm in more personal ways.
During a Fox Sports interview with comedian Kevin Hart on February 4, Kevin asked Kim how she might react if her son Saint, 8, played for the United States men’s national soccer team.
“I’ll be the most embarrassing soccer mom there is. No shame, I’ll be there,” the mom of four said.
Kevin warned her, “Stop embarrassing that boy Kim. Stop it. Enough is enough.
“I try and kiss him in front of his teammates,” Kim laughed during another interview, as Saint looked down.
Parenting expert Kirsty Ketley said this may be funny to Kim — but it’s not necessarily all fun and games for her children.
“All kids find their parents embarrassing at some point or another though — even if they are not,” Ketley told The U.S. Sun.
“[But] Kim needs to be careful of purposely being an embarrassing mom.”
“Some teasing can be fine, but if your kids ask you to stop — it is affecting their friendships or causing them to be the center of attention when they don’t want to be — then it’s time to give it up.”
Kim’s massive career has always involved boosting her brand — sometimes at whatever cost.
There was the infamous sex tape with Ray J, which hit the internet before any of her kids were born.
Then came nude magazine front covers like Playboy and Paper magazine.
Kim broke down in a 2022 episode of The Kardashians when Saint became aware of the tape.
She cried about not wanting all of the “real embarrassing s**t” coming back years later.
Kim has since, however, never been shy about sharing topless photos on social media.
When daughter North, 10, took a topless photo of her mom when she was four, fans reacted online.
“If you ever get embarrassed by your mom, just remember that North West has to take topless photos of Kim Kardashian,” one follower commented on X.
Kim, who shares North, Saint, Chicago, 5, and Psalm, 4, with ex-husband Kanye West, posed topless again in 2023.
She went braless under a pair of skates to promote the Skims’ Christmas collection.
Still, Kim’s revealing photos are starting to look tame compared to shots of Kanye’s new wife, Bianca Censori, 29.
The couple has been photographed getting steamy on a boat in Venice.
Kanye started sharing images of Bianca almost undressed online in January.
According to The Daily Mail, Kim asked Bianca to cover herself around her stepchildren.
This came after the Hulu star shared a photo of North’s notebook on TikTok, showing North had drawn her version of her father’s album cover.
She etched out her new stepmom facing the wall naked in a thong.
Ketley warned that both mom Kim and stepmom Bianca should spare more thought to how their public style choices will impact the kids.
“When it comes to nudity — posing topless or dressing as Bianca likes to — then Kim and Bianca need to think about how this can lead to teasing from their kid’s peers and be on the same page,” she said.
Kourtney Kardashian, 44, and Travis Barker, 46, are notorious for their steamy PDAs — so much so that two of Kourtney’s kids, whom she shares with Scott Disick, have already told the couple to stop.
During an episode of The Kardashians in 2022, the mom of four was filmed playing table tennis with Penelope, 10.
When Travis entered the room, the Blink-182 drummer moved to kiss Kourtney.
“Mom, no kissing!” shrieked Penelope.
Kourtney and Travis started kissing at the dinner table. This time, Reign, 9, jumped in.
“Ew, guys! Can you guys not kiss in French again?” he said.
In 2023, Kourtney shared raunchy photos on Instagram where she embraced Travis topless in honor of his 48th birthday.
“Wonder how ur kids feel when they see these pics?” asked one fan.
According to Ketley, a little PDA in front of kids is nice — but go too far and it can be damaging.
“Showing affection in front of your kids is no bad thing — seeing parents happy together can make for a happy family and give kids a sense of security,” she said.
“However, it is possible to go completely overboard and cross a boundary by being overtly sexual in front of the kids, making them feel uncomfortable or scared.
“Anything sexual should be kept private.
“As for the raunchy photos, they are not something the kids need to be privy to until they are much older.”
Like her older sister, Kim, Khloe Kardashian, 38, has never been shy about showing off her semi-naked curves.
She posted a topless photo on Instagram in 2022 wearing jeans by her brand, Good American. She covered her breasts with her arms.
“Put on clothes,” wrote one follower.
In 2023, Khloe ditched her bra and top again, wearing a leather jacket left open at the front.
Khloé is a mom of two, sharing a daughter, True Thompson, and a son, Tatum, with NFL star Tristan Thompson.
But it’s not just mom’s body-flaunting habits that may make her kids squirm.
True and Tatum will eventually know what led to their parents’ split.
During an episode of The Kardashians in 2023, Tristan, 32, voiced his fears about how his kids might look at his past infidelities.
“True is understanding stuff, and Prince understands things where they go to school and have classmates,” he said.
“The last thing I ever want them to do is feel embarrassed that I’m their father.”
Tristan addressed cheating on Khloe with Kylie’s friends Jordyn Woods and Maralee Nichols.
While True and Tatum may come to their conclusions when they get older, parenting pro, Ketley stresses that Khloe and Tristan have much power over how their relationship impacts their kids.
“Infidelity can be a tricky subject to navigate with kids, and where possible, they should be kept out of it,” she said.
“They don’t need to know details, but if they do ask questions, they should be answered factually and without emotions taking over.
“The kids shouldn’t be taking on the grownups’ hurt and pain, and shouldn’t be made to take sides, as this can hurt their relationship with both parents.
“As they get older they will understand relationships much more and be able to make their own assumptions about things.”
On Sunday, Kylie Jenner, 26, showed off her new hairstyle on Instagram. She was otherwise nude in the picture.
Kylie, is mom to daughter Stormi, 6, and son Aire, 2, with ex Travis Scott.
The reality star and Kylie Cosmetics founder has rarely shied away from showing off her figure in other risque shots.
In 2023, she posed topless, covered in mud, as the new face of the luxury fashion house Acne Studios.
Kylie shared another steamy photo in 2022 on Instagram.
The mom of two showed off her bikini — and nipples — to her 365 million followers.
While teaching kids to feel good in their skin is a positive, Ketley explains there is a difference between that and Kylie’s route.
“Nudity is still very much a taboo subject and while empowering kids to be body-positive is a must, parents also need to be aware of how their children may feel about seeing their parents naked,” she said.
“It’s one thing seeing mom or dad naked at home, but seeing them out in the public domain can cause kids to feel uncomfortable.
“This could lead to teasing from their peers.
“It is also worth thinking about the message that posing in a sexualized way is sending to kids — that your worth is only defined by your sexual appeal or behavior.”
If the Kardashian moms want to keep their close-knit clan, Ketley warns that reconsidering their behavior is in order.
“The Kardashians are a big family who live their life through a lens,” she said.
“Some kids may look to follow in their parent’s footsteps — like North West — and live in the spotlight.
“They may be emotionally strong enough not to care.
“But some kids may find it all a bit too much.
“Having every aspect of their lives out there for all to see could make them feel ashamed and embarrassed of their family.
“Having millions of strangers knowing the intimate details of everything that goes on within the family unit, and constantly commenting on and scrutinizing them, may make them want to distance themselves.”
