Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian raise baby Rocky so differently from Mason, Penelope and Reign

Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker have been famously protective over their baby son, Rocky, who arrived in the world in November 2023.

Kourtney’s pregnancy was well-documented in the public eye, with the 45-year-old announcing her impending arrival at a Blink-182 gig and frequently talking about her fertility journey on The Kardashians.

Rocky’s gender reveal, Kourtney’s baby shower and her son’s birth were all filmed for the show, but since Rocky arrived, Kourtney and Travis have made an about-turn, keeping their son entirely out of the public eye.

Baby Rocky’s privacy

Kourtney spoke of her decision to hide her baby’s face in a recent episode of The Kardashians, explaining her hesitance to go to Australia, where Rocky could be seen.

“I go walking, I’m in a gated community, I don’t have to worry about anyone seeing me,” adding: “I haven’t see shown him.”

She continued: “Rocky hasn’t been seen and in California there’s a law that if I don’t show the baby’s face, the paparazzi have to blur his image, but in Australia there are supposedly no paparazzi laws, so they can take a photo and sell their image.”

READ: Scott Disick’s dream home couldn’t be more different to ex-Kourtney Kardashian’s abode with Travis Barker 

Kourtney’s concerns over baby Rocky being seen came as a surprise to her fans, given how public the lives of her other three children, Mason, 14, Penelope, 12, and Reign, eight, have been.

Mason, Penelope and Reign’s public lives

Kourtney’s three children with Scott Disick have been on the family’s reality show since birth, with Mason appearing on a magazine cover with his mother in the first few weeks of his life.

Penelope’s arrival was also heralded by a magazine cover, starring Mason too. Reign’s arrival was kept a little more private, though. He was born on Mason’s birthday in December 2014, and Kourtney didn’t share a glimpse of her son until the following April, suggesting a changing approach to her parenting style.

A change in style

Kourtney’s change in tact could be down to the fact the family is so much more famous now than they were when Mason joined the world – the Kardashians have admitted they were happy to take any deal in the past, whereas now they’re more selective.

While a magazine reveal of her new babies was lucrative in the mid-2010s, it is likely less appealing now that the family all have their own brands.

Kourtney’s partner, Travis Barker, also likely influenced her decision to parent Rocky privately. Notoriously protective, Travis asked his wife not to travel with their baby without him, so he likely has input in the decision to keep Rocky out of the public eye.