Hoda Kotb Extended Her ‘Today’ Absence for an Important Reason

As the summer break drew to a close, Hoda Kotb, co-anchor of NBC‘s Today show, chose to extend her time away from the studio for a heartwarming reason. On Tuesday, Sept. 3, Savannah Guthrie informed viewers about Kotb’s continued absence, explaining, “Labor Day weekend was wonderful. Hoda’s off. She’s extending a little bit ’cause it’s the first day of school for her girls.” Kotb, 60, is a mother to two daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 5, whom she shares with her former fiancé, Joel Schiffman.

On Tuesday, Kotb delighted her followers with snapshots of her children striking poses for their first day-of-school photoshoot in front of their home. The siblings both selected jumper-style dresses for the occasion — Haley donned a blue jean ensemble, while her younger sister Hope opted for a rosy pink number complemented by white stockings. “First day of school in the books!” Kotb wrote beneath her Instagram update.

The beloved morning show host also shared a video clip featuring Haley scooping up Hope and twirling her around in an embrace. Haley is now a second-grader, while Hope has begun kindergarten.

While Kotb was absent from live broadcasts, she still maintained a presence on the show through pre-recorded episodes of Today With Hoda & Jenna. Taking her place, Sheinelle Jones stepped in to co-host alongside Jenna Bush Hager on Tuesday’s segment.

On the Sept. 4 episode, Kotb shared with co-host Bush Hager, “We went for our first day of school. I carried a coffee and I had my sneakers and I walked my kids to school. It was awesome!” She described a touching scene of Hope collecting acorns along the way and a group of neighborhood children joining their walk, reminiscent of Kotb’s own childhood in West Virginia.

For Kotb, the start of the school year came on the heels of a significant personal milestone. She recently celebrated her 60th birthday, surrounded by her daughters and loved ones. “Great bday morning!! Lucky me xoxoxo,” she wrote alongside Instagram photos from her birthday festivities. During a special birthday episode of “Today,” actress Sandra Bullock surprised Kotb with an inspiring message about embracing motherhood later in life.

Bullock, who adopted her children in her 40s and 50s, shared words of encouragement: “[I’m] tired because I had to make my way up that mountain before you got there so I could check out the terrain and see what things look like and, you know, just get the feel so I could fill you in. And it’s weird because people seem to want us to be afraid of what it might look like when we get there. It turns out, it’s pretty damn great. It’s pretty awesome.” This message resonated deeply with Kotb, who revealed that Bullock had been a source of inspiration in her own path to motherhood. “The reason that I have Haley and Hope is because when I was looking for inspiration of somebody who was a mom at my age, Sandra Bullock popped up and I called her and I said, ‘Tell me about motherhood.’ And she said, ‘It is the best decision I ever made,’” Kotb shared.

The first day of school marked not only a new academic year for Haley and Hope but also a significant lifestyle change for the family. Kotb recently moved from New York City to a house in the suburbs, a decision she believes will benefit her children. “We’ve had seven great years in the city with kids and that’s amazing, but I also think kids need to have their feet in the grass and dirt,” Kotb explained on Wednesday’s Today show.