Holidays in the Gosselin household are a little different these days, following the divorce of Jon and Kate — but the reality mom said that doesn’t mean it’s a stressful time for her or her kids.
During an interview on Wednesday morning’s “Today” show, Kate sat down with Meredith Vieira to talk about how her kids are handling the split, nearly one year later, and whether or not she and Jon are forced to call a “truce” during the holiday season.
“There’s no truce necessary in that regard. Strangely, the holidays have always been something we’ve worked out peacefully,” Kate told Meredith of her interaction with Jon. “I always approach it [as] the kids need to see both of us, if not together, on the holidays. It’s an understanding that we always split the holidays. The kids have done a few holidays now and so they know that this is what they need to do… they’re very happy to spend time with both of us.”
When it comes to contacting her ex to set up any arrangements, Kate suggested it can be tricky.
“It depends on the day, depends on the hour,” Kate said, when asked if she is able to call Jon directly. “I always reach out to him first, as far as trying to do it in the normal manner and I do it amicably and with the best interest of the kids in mind. And when I approach him, I try to think of the old days. You know, write him an e-mail, give him a call and try to talk to him the same way we always have talked.
“My goal is always to do it peacefully,” she added.
As far as any apology from Jon, Kate was aware of a Twitter message Jon had posted, which stated, “I am acutely aware of the mistakes I made in 2009 and I am ashamed of the choices I made. I have apologized to Kate, my family, and to my friends” – Kate said she is still waiting to hear it directly from her ex.
“I have never personally been apologized to. I don’t consider an interview on TV or [in] a tabloid as an apology, unfortunately,” she continued.
However, that doesn’t mean she still harbors ill will towards the man she was married to for 10 years.
“I have, strangely and ironically, I have forgiven him for the sake of my kids. He will always be their dad,” Kate said. “I’m hurt and I’m angry, but what good does it do to live that way?”
Kate also addressed concerns Jon has voiced since the split about their eight children still being featured on TV – a notion Kate suggested is actually benefiting her brood.
“Their best interest is what is good for the kids and what they enjoy — what I see on their faces. And there has been nothing but positive that has come out of it,” she said of continuing her TLC gig, with her kids. “It is in their best interest.”
The “Plus 8” matriarch also set the record straight on reports that two of her sextuplets – 6-year-old Collin and Alexis – had been kicked out of their private school in Pennsylvania.
“They were not expelled from school,” Kate explained. “They were having anger issues, acting out, having behavior things.”
In fact, Kate added that she spoke with school administrators who “mutually agreed” to remove the children from the classroom to work with a private tutor for a time.
“I brought them home, I have them with a private tutor… and they are excelling along with weekly therapy,” she said. “My kids are back. They’re happy, they’re functioning, they’re well and all is well again.”
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