Santa Claus, Jenna Bush Hager’s children may not send you a list this year.
Before spending the holidays with her husband Henry Hager and their three children Mila, 9, Poppy, 7, and Hal, 3, the Today show co-host hopes to keep the fun under the tree manageable.
“I’m more into experiences,” Hager said on the December 22 episode of Today with Hoda Kotb. “I enjoy the enjoyable trip, concert, or whatever it is.”
Visiting Santa is one experience that this family cannot pass up. However, while discussing the topic of holiday disappointment, Hager devised a rule that may be useful to other parents.
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“It all comes down to expectation,” she explained. “We got to go see Santa and sit on his lap and see Mrs. Clause, and Henry asked, ‘Should the kids write a list?’ and I said, ‘No, because I don’t want them to think that Santa is going to bring all ten presents.'”
Kotb agreed when she shared some wise advice given to her by a parent. “‘Part of our job as parents is to prepare our children for disappointment,” Kotb recalled. “It’s as if we’re all fixes.”
Whether or not she makes a Christmas list, Hager has one gift in mind for her oldest child.
“I believe we’re going to get a little kitten,” she teased. “Don’t tell anyone. Mila wants to call her Holly and name her Hollywood Hager.”
“She’s all set,” Hager added. “She desires the responsibility. She simply cannot wait.”
