Jenna Bush Hager Jokes She Doesn’t Want Her Daughters to Be Like Her Teenage Self.m1

Jenna Bush Hager may be a proud mom of two growing girls, but when it comes to their teenage years, the Today with Jenna & Friends co-host has one very specific wish: that her daughters don’t end up anything like her.

The 43-year-old TV personality, author, and daughter of former President George W. Bush opened up about the realities of parenting on the Thursday, Sept. 25, episode of her show. Sitting alongside guest co-host Sheinelle Jones, the pair began chatting about National Daughters Day—a lighthearted conversation that quickly turned into a candid confession.

Jones, who shares 13-year-old daughter Clara with her husband, kicked off the discussion with confidence. “I actually hope — and I’m just gonna say it — I actually hope my daughter, her teenage years… she just turned 13 a month ago… I hope she’s like me, like I was,” Jones said proudly, before letting out a laugh. “I was a great teenager.” Turning to her co-host, she added teasingly, “Oh wait, that tees you up perfectly.”

Without missing a beat, Bush Hager shot back with a straight face: “Yeah, I hope my daughters are NOT like me.”

The room erupted with laughter, but Bush Hager’s comment struck a deeper chord. Known for her fun-loving, rebellious streak as the daughter of a U.S. president and first lady, Jenna was never shy about admitting she pushed boundaries in her youth. While Jones insisted she “didn’t sneak out” or break rules as a teen, Bush Hager made it clear her own story was quite different.

“If I have a little Jenna, I wouldn’t even know how to parent that,” Jones joked.

“My parents didn’t either,” Bush Hager quipped, drawing another round of laughs.

Still, Jones offered reassurance, noting the obvious love and stability that carried Jenna and her twin sister Barbara into adulthood. “Shoutout to your mom because you turned out alright,” Jones told her co-host warmly.

Bush Hager agreed, adding with a smile: “We turned out just fine.”

The segment might have ended there, but things only got funnier when both women were surprised with video messages from their daughters in honor of National Daughters Day.

Jones’ daughter, Clara, delivered a sweet, heartfelt tribute to her mom, leaving Jones visibly touched. In contrast, Bush Hager’s girls—Mila, 12, and Poppy, 10—took a less sentimental approach. Their clip was short, a little chaotic, and full of the playful reluctance familiar to any parent of tweens.

Bush Hager couldn’t help but laugh as she recalled the behind-the-scenes drama. “I get home and I hear screaming, like yelling, like, ‘Come on! Do it now!’ And they were doing the video,” she said, imitating her daughters’ exasperation. “And Mila walks in and she goes, ‘Mom, I just have to tell you something. I don’t wanna do this anymore.’”

The moment, equal parts humorous and relatable, highlighted what makes Bush Hager such a beloved figure on morning television. She doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out. Instead, she embraces the messy, imperfect, and often hilarious reality of raising kids while balancing a career in the spotlight.

For viewers, it was also a reminder that even children of presidents grow up in households filled with the same frustrations, laughter, and awkward teenage years as any other family.

Bush Hager has long shared that motherhood is her proudest role, and while she may joke about her own wild teen years, it’s clear she hopes Mila and Poppy carve their own paths—with perhaps a little less drama than she once did.

“They’re strong-willed, they’re opinionated, and they make me laugh every day,” she said recently of her daughters. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

And while she may not want her girls to be exactly like her, Jenna Bush Hager is proof that even the most rebellious teenagers can grow up to be loving parents, successful professionals, and yes—even role models in their own right.