Khloe Kardashian may have ‘widened disconnect’ by not naming Tatum for 8 months & could ‘helicopter to overcompensate’
FROM posting their pregnancies to filming their labor pains, the Kardashians have been open about their children since day one.
A parenting expert revealed how Khloe’s honesty about not naming her son for eight months may affect the child in the long run.
Kirsty Ketley spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about how Khloe’s delay in naming her son Tatum may affect their relationship in the future.
Speaking on the She MD Podcast, the 39-year-old reality star explained why she had such a hard time naming her son.
Khloe, a patient of co-host Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, spoke about her initial difficulty forming a bond with her son, whom she welcomed via surrogate in July 2023.
She revealed that she called her second-born Papa for the first part of his life.
“We would always call him baby or I call him Papa all the time,” Khloe told the podcasters.
She recalled the difficulty she had in not just naming the baby boy but bonding with him.
“It’s interesting because I wasn’t carrying him, I didn’t really feel anything,” Khloe said.
She explained that when she finally did settle on a name she made sure it wasn’t too out there.
“I like unique names, but not off-the-wall names,” the mother-of-two said.
“I think our family has enough off-the-wall names. I didn’t want to have just too much craziness.”
She revealed that her son was eight months old by the time she got around to legally naming him.
Ketley broke down how this unique start in life may shape Tatum’s bond with his mother.
“Khloe has spoken candidly about how she struggled to feel connected to her son the whole way through her surrogate’s pregnancy,” Ketley said.
She added that this feeling of disconnect carried into the months after Tatum was born.
I think that by not naming him, she could have widened her disconnection.
Kirsty Ketley, parenting expert
“Taking into account the drama surrounding her and Tristan at the time, it may have had an impact on her emotionally and caused her to disconnect with her son,” she explained.
Khloe’s former partner Tristan Thompson fathered a child with another woman while the couple was expecting their second child.
“This could have been a factor in struggling to come up with a name, she [may have] felt she needed the same kind of connection that she had experienced with [daughter] True first,” Ketley said.
“I think that by not naming him, she could have widened her disconnection.”
The parenting pro explained that while bonding affects both the parent and child, the situation “will have likely had a bigger impact on Khloe.”
“She will have likely had feelings of guilt and shame and probably have been frustrated and disappointed,” Ketley explained.
“That’s something which she may carry with her through his life, so she may overcompensate as he grows — not leaving him, helicoptering him, for example.”
Ketley pointed out that baby Tatum’s initial months would not have been affected by having no name but warned that Khloe’s openness about her struggle may affect him in the future.
Tatum may find that hard to hear, particularly if he feels he has always been treated differently from his sister.
Kirsty Ketley, parenting expert
“This may be how he feels differently to his sister, or he may feel that she has been treated in a better way to him because she has that bond,” she said.
She revealed that feelings of disconnect towards a child born via surrogate are not uncommon.
“This shouldn’t impact the child as long a good, tight bond is forged as everyone gets used to the situation, and it sounds like all is very well now,” Ketley said.
She praised the reality star for “speaking so openly” and helping to shine a light on the issue.
However, she still cautioned the socialite to be careful of how she shares her experience.
“In years to come, Tatum may find that hard to hear, particularly if he feels he has always been treated differently from his sister,” she said.
Ketley explained how this behavior, known as over-sharenting, can cause the child embarrassment and create concern over lack of privacy.
“While it could cause upset, it also sets the kids up for thinking that you need to share everything online, because validation through likes and comments, is how to feel fulfilled,” she said.
“This can lead to self-esteem and confidence issues, anxiety, stress, depression, and an addiction to social media and screens.”
However, she pointed out that this lifestyle is common for the Kardashians and said it is likely Khloe’s children will see it as a normal part of their lives.
