Kanye West has been very vocal about what he thinks of his custody arrangement of his four kids, North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, eight, and Psalm, six, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
The rapper, who now goes by the name Ye, was recently joined on stage by his eldest daughter, North, at his comeback show at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles; however, he hasn't been photographed with his other children in over 12 months.
According to Kanye, his apparent absence in his children's lives is because of Kim and the "Kardashian mob," whom he accused of restricting his parenting abilities last March, even comparing their custody agreement to "visitation" in "jail."
However, Kim had her say on the matter seven months later, claiming that their kids can see Kanye "whenever he'll call," although she admitted at the time that he had not been in contact with them for "months."
Sharing an insight into Kanye's relationship with their four children, she said on an October episode of Call Her Daddy: "It's probably been a couple months since we've heard from him.
"They always knew that he had a big life traveling before, and he was on tour and all of that, and that he lives in different countries all the time and loves to live all over the place. So we manage it really well."
© Getty ImagesKim revealed that while she has primary custody of their kids, she encourages a "healthy relationship" between them and their father, despite Kanye's earlier claims.
"I raise the kids full time. They live with me, and I welcome a great healthy relationship with my kids and their dad. He knows that I push for it all the time," she explained.
Kim did admit that she will "protect them when it's time for that," saying "it goes in waves and phases. It's a lot of work."
© InstagramDisagreeing with Kanye's claims that she keeps him from spending time with his kids, Kim explained: "I think that the one thing that just gets me is there's this narrative that I like to keep the kids away from him. I've never once done that.
"There's been so many times where I'm just like, 'Ah, I want to show all these texts, what are you talking about?' I beg them to go hang out or things like that."
She continued: "I think it's all good and we're living our life, and then I wake up, and there's all these tweets about how I've kidnapped the kids, and I'm like, 'It's not a kidnapping. It's divorce.'"
© InstagramShe added: "Every time he has asked, I will always let them see their father. That's just who I am."
Kim noted that when Kanye appears to be struggling with his mental health, he will limit his interaction with the kids. "When he is like that, he doesn't want to see the kids a lot," she said. "So it's always worked out."
Expert opinion
© InstagramAccording to Child Development and Parenting Specialist Dr. Yana Segal Sirotkin, Kanye's intermittent relationship with North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm could negatively impact their relationships with others.
"When children see their father sporadically, they struggle to develop secure attachment and form healthy internal working models for future relationships," Yana told HELLO!
"This inconsistent presence creates confusion and may contribute to feelings of personal rejection ('If I were more lovable, Dad would visit more often') that undermine self-esteem and identity development."
© InstagramYana added: "That said, children are remarkably resilient. Research consistently shows that individual temperament, having even one stable and emotionally available parent who prioritizes children's needs, extended family support, and therapeutic interventions can all serve as powerful protective factors.
"In this case, the consistency, support, and love the children receive from Kim and likely from their extended family have real potential to buffer the harmful effects of their father's sporadic presence and the ongoing public drama surrounding their family."
