Momager extraordinaire Kris Jenner has run the full gambit of life experiences – before, during and after Keeping Up With the Kardashians. She was divorced from Robert Kardashian in 1991with four children to raise, and ended up losing him to cancer over a decade later. Her divorce from Caitlyn Jenner, amidst the pandemonium surrounding Jenner’s revelation that she was transgender, sent shockwaves through their family and fans. But it was those same hard life lessons that, in Jenner’s words, can help Kim Kardashian and Kanye West find an even keel amidst their own divorce.
Kim Kardashian’s journey certainly mirrors her mom Kris Jenner’s in a lot of ways. They both were around the same age with exactly four kids at the time of contentious divorces. In her conversation with The Wall Street Journal Magazine, Jenner shared her advice on what’s the best move for her daughter and Kanye West right now:
I think, you know, listen I was about 35 I believe maybe a little bit older… but I think that the most important thing that I learned through my experience -- both of my experiences -- is that the kids come first. I think if you keep that in the front of your mind and know that they are going to get you through, the love is going to get you through, no matter how much you’re hurting. I used to put everybody to bed and then I would be upset. Or go to my room and cry myself to sleep. But I didn’t want to have a pity party in front of my kids. And listen, it can get really silly. By silly I mean the things that we put ourselves through and sometimes focus on that are so unnecessary. I think you really just have to try and focus on what the priority is.
Kris Jenner’s golden rule for divorce – kids come first – worked out in her life well enough. When speaking about her split from ex-husband Robert Kardashian, Jenner revealed that she felt a “huge responsibility” to “pave the way” for a positive future for their family. So much so, Robert Kardashian apparently came over twice a week for dinners, spent every holiday with them, and would call her three times a day on the phone. She said, “He was my best friend and remained my best friend until he passed away.”
Of course, everyone whose been divorced would probably love to have the same picturesque relationship with their former spouse, but that is not always life. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are reportedly having a rough go at co-parenting amidst their divorce and are rumored to not spending big holidays together already. Of course the Kimye divorce is arguably more high profile than Kris and Robert Kardashian's.
But the events that led to Kris Jenner’s divorce from Caitlyn Jenner were probably just as much, if not more, scrutinized and speculated on then even Kim Kardashian’s divorce to Kanye West. Kris Jenner shared that the family originally “didn’t know how to process” Caitlyn Jenner coming out as a trans woman. It was at first “emotional” and a “shock” that they had to take one day at a time, but they are “very respectful” toward one another nowadays because of their daughters Kendall and Kylie.
Taking things one day at a time and easing into a new reality sounds like pretty good advice from Kris Jenner to Kim Kardashian. As my mom says, always listen to your mom.
