Kim Kardashian and Family Are Reportedly ‘Shielding’ Kids From Drama With Kanye West

Kim Kardashian and her family are keeping her children far from the public discussion surrounding father Kanye West‘s mental health amid his ongoing erratic behavior. Kim arrived in Cody, Wyoming, Monday to meet in person with her husband for the first time in weeks, emotional photos of which were published by TMZ. Since they had last seen each other, West has gone on a number of Twitter rants against the Keeping Up With the Kardashians family, which the KKW Beauty founder attributed publicly to his bipolar disorder.

Kardashian is making sure to protect daughters North, 7, and Chicago, 2, and sons Saint, 4, and Psalm, 14 months, from their father’s behavior, a source told PEOPLE. “She is shielding the kids. All of her family is. They’ve circled around the kids and are insulating them from all of this,” the insider said. “And everyone else has decided to create an atmosphere of normalcy around them. …They don’t need to see such a public meltdown.” The kids have been spending time with their aunt, Kourtney Kardashian, and her ex, Scott Disick, who have posted photos with their nieces and nephews as Kim addresses her husband’s ongoing issues.

Saturday, West apologized to his wife on Twitter a week after revealing at a rally for his presidential campaign that they had considered an abortion when Kim first was pregnant with North in 2012. “I would like to apologize to my wife Kim for going public with something that was a private matter,” he tweeted. “I did not cover her like she has covered me. To Kim I want to say I know I hurt you. Please forgive me. Thank you for always being there for me.”

Wednesday, Kim addressed her husband’s behavior in a statement on Instagram, asking for “compassion” and admitting how “incredibly complicated and painful” it can be for the family of someone with bipolar disorder. “I’ve never spoken publicly about how this has affected us at home because I am very protective of our children and Kanye’s right to privacy when it comes to his health. But today, I feel like I should comment on it because of the stigma and misconceptions about mental health,” she wrote. “Those that understand mental illness or even compulsive behavior know that the family is powerless unless the member is a minor. People who are unaware or far removed from this experience can be judgmental and not understand that the individual themselves have to engage in the process of getting help no matter how hard family and friends try.”