Kim frames herself as a protective, 'intermediate-strict' mom prioritizing her children's well-being over the spotlight, ensuring they savor moments rather than burn out.
Insiders note the stark contrast between Kim's desire to 'hold back' North and the teen's aggressive push for fame, plus the awkward distance between Kim and Kanye at the concert.
North released her EP 'N0rth4evr' in May, appeared on the Dazed September cover, and canceled her 14-stop tour with Molly Santana in July. Kim called herself an 'intermediate-strict parent.'
Kim claims she's curating North's career, but the teen is clearly steering the ship herself, leaving the exes watching from separate sections.
Kim Kardashian is officially playing air traffic control for her eldest daughter’s skyrocketing career. In a revealing interview with the Sunday Times published Saturday, the 45-year-old Skims founder admitted that 13-year-old North West is hungry for the spotlight in a way her siblings simply aren’t. While Saint, 10, Chicago, 8, and Psalm, 7, might hover near cameras during filming, they don’t engage in storylines.
North, however, is different. “North loves it a little bit more than the rest,” Kim confessed, noting that the teen is obsessed with “forward-facing projects.” This isn't just idle chitchat; Kim revealed she actively has to “hold North back” from accepting every opportunity that lands in her lap, trying to “savor those moments” to ensure the exposure is managed correctly. The tension between parental caution and teenage ambition is palpable.
Kim described her parenting style as “intermediate-strict,” balancing patience with boundaries. “I’m extremely patient and loving,” she said, adding that she still reads bedtime stories and lets kids sleep in her bed. But the reality is, North is already operating like a seasoned pro.
This year alone, the teen dropped her EP “N0rth4evr” in May and graced the cover of Dazed magazine for its September issue. In that same Dazed interview, North shut down the idea of waiting her turn, calling the advice to delay her music career the worst she’d ever received. “It’s like, nah, this is my hobby, this is what I like to do, this is what I wanna do with my life,” she insisted, defending her bold aesthetic of faux piercings, face tattoos, and bright blue hair against critics who prefer teens to focus on “boys, vaping and doing all kinds of bad stuff.” Despite the potential for friction, Kim and her ex-husband Kanye West, 49, claim to be on the same page regarding North’s career trajectory.
However, their dynamic during North’s first solo concert at the Vic Theatre in Chicago last month told a different story. While both parents attended the sold-out show, they reportedly kept their distance, sitting in entirely different sections of the venue. Kim took to Instagram Stories to share video of the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, proudly showcasing the demand for her daughter’s performance.
It’s a stark visual reminder that while they may align on business decisions, the personal rift remains visible to the public eye. The road to stardom hasn’t been without its hiccups. Just days before the first show was set to kick off in July, North canceled her planned 14-stop tour with rapper Molly Santana.
That abrupt exit raised eyebrows, but the recent concert success suggests the teen is back in the saddle and ready to ride. Kim’s insistence on “managing it the right way” feels like a necessary PR shield for a family under constant microscopic scrutiny. Yet, with North declaring that fame is exactly what she wants “with my life,” one has to wonder: is Kim truly holding her back, or just trying to stay ahead of a runaway train? The receipts show a teen who knows exactly what she wants, and a mom trying desperately to keep the reins loose enough for the ride but tight enough to avoid a crash.
