Hoda Kotb Recently Opened up About Her Childhood

Hoda Kotb recently opened up about her childhood during a discussion with actress and comedian Amy Schumer, and the conversation was quite emotional. The pair spoke when Schumer was a guest on the Making Space with Hoda Kotb podcast, and they shared many personal experiences, such as health, motherhood, and growing up. According to Hello!, Schumer offered some insight into her own life, sharing about her “sweet psychopath” mother who she said has always been very supportive. 

This resonated with Kotb, who explained that her mother was also very supportive of her. The Today show anchor then shared some details about her childhood. “When I was a kid, I had stop sign glasses, frizzy hair and a crazy name,” Kotb said, “and my mom was like, ‘No one’s more beautiful than you.’” Schumer then recalled, “My mom believed I was a model, believed I was the most incredible person to ever live, and by the time the truth hit me it was too late.” Finally, the pair discussed how all their childhoods related to their transitions into being moms themselves, with Kotb offering, “We always have to tell our kids the truth because the truth is the truth.”

In another recent conversation, with Good Housekeeping and Savannah Guthrie, Kotb opened up being an “older” mom and how it impacts the way she approaches motherhood. “All of a sudden all the things about having little kids that seem like a problem, you see in a whole different way,” she said. “And I find myself being so much more patient and calm than I ever would have been at a younger age. You realize we sometimes blow things out of proportion.”

Kotb continued, “I got a letter at my house from some lady, and she said, Who do you think you are, having those kids at this age? It was handwritten, with a stamp on it. And I remember thinking, She took a piece of paper out on her desk and wrote this down, folded it up, put it in an envelope, got my home address and put a stamp on it and mailed it.”

The added, “I’ve come to learn that there are two ways to live your life. You can live your life worrying about what people think of your life, or you can live your life. And I realized that sometimes I was living my life being concerned about the perceptions of it. I sort of had this epiphany: I have a choice.”