Hoda Kotb & Jenna Bush Hager Discuss Empowering Their Children To Not Be People “Pleasers”: “There’s Gonna Be Boys Who Want You To Do Things You Shouldn’t Be Doing”

Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager had a candid conversation about raising their children to be empowered on Friday’s (Sept. 29) episode of Today With Hoda & Jenna.

Kotb expressed that she was recently contemplating how to raise her children to not be people pleasers.

“The other thing I’ve been thinking about, especially with raising my girls now, is how you want to raise your kid to be good, to be someone who is respectful and listens, and sometimes that can morph into [people] pleasers,” she said.

Kotb is the mother of two daughters, ages six and four.

“It seems like the girls who are [people] pleasers, and I know this sounds weird, you don’t want them to be victims to someone who is aggressive,” she continued.

Bush Hager appeared to agree. “Yes, or even lose themselves to someone’s views,” she said.

“Because you were raised to listen, be obedient, do the right thing,” Kotb continued.

Hoda and Jenna talk about how it can be a difficult line to toe raising your children to be polite and respectful, but not as "pleasers," who may be taken advantage of. pic.twitter.com/5qfii9HIrF

— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) September 29, 2023

“I actually was thinking about it yesterday, what’s my path forward here with my daughters to make sure that they’re obviously polite, but to know that they don’t have to go along with that one or do what that one says,” she said.

Kotb expressed her worry that it could lead to them being taken advantage of: “Because there are gonna be boys who want you to do things you shouldn’t be doing, there are gonna be girls,” she said, before adding, “And if you’re a pleaser and a ‘good girl’ sometimes you find yourself like…” She then trailed off and cringed.

Bush Hager has also spoken about the values she has tried to instill in her children. She recently admitted she doesn’t “really care” if her kids are “No. 1 in their class.”

��I spend almost all my time in parenting trying to raise kind kids. I don’t really care about any of the other stuff,” she said during an August episode, later adding, “I just want them to be the type of kids that are kind.”

Kotb agreed, replying, “That is everything.”

Today with Jenna and Hoda airs on weekdays at 10/9c on NBC.