Jenna Bush Hager has admitted she was in an ‘absolute panic’ over the weekend after she lost one of her eight-year-old daughter’s friends during recent birthday celebrations at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey.
Jenna, 42, and her husband Henry took 15 children to the huge mall to mark their eldest child Mila’s 11th birthday, but the fun day out took a ‘horrible’ turn when one of the kids – a friend of her younger daughter Poppy – went missing during their time at the water park.
‘Mila and her friends had a blast, and it was wonderful until we lost one child,’ Jenna admitted to her Today co-host Hoda Kotb, before explaining that she thought she would be able to handle taking such a large group of kids out for the day because she used to be a teacher.
‘I thought, “I was a teacher, I took 24 kids on a subway in Washington, D.C. by myself! I got this!” Well, turns out, I didn’t really have it,’ Jenna revealed. ‘When it’s your own children who don’t listen to you the way your students did!
Jenna Bush Hager was in an ‘absolute panic’ over the weekend after she lost one of daughter’s friends during birthday celebrations in New Jersey
Jenna decided to mark her daughter Mila’s 11th birthday by taking her and her friends to the American Dream Mall
The 42-year-old told her co-host Hoda Kotb that it was a ‘horrible’ situation to be in
The TV host had to explain to her younger daughter Poppy that there was ‘ a buddy system for a reason’ after she left her friend behind
‘And I said, “Please stay with your partner, that’s the number one rule, and the number two rule is be up here at 2:15.” Well, nobody showed up at 2:15 and I panicked, because the smallest among us, Poppy’s little friend, who’s the cutest, sweetest…
‘I wouldn’t choose which child to lose, but I would not want to lose her, okay! If I could save one child, she’s who… well, and my children, too… if this was the Titantic!’ Jenna continued as Hoda, 59, burst out laughing.
‘So what happened?’ Hoda asked, as Jenna replied: ‘She went missing,’ before adding: ‘How do you think I acted? Absolute panic. [I said] “Poppy, there was a buddy system for a reason! We never leave people behind!”
‘So finally I found her waiting by the lion from some movie,’ Jenna continued. ‘And Poppy did mention she might be waiting for me by the lion but I said, “That should have been the headline!”
‘She thought she was in the wave pool, so I was looking for one child in the wave pool. Anyway, I love Mila [but] I am retiring from water parks, even though the American Dream Mall… if I go to any, that’s the one I’d go to.
‘I am retiring from big parties. I’ve decided nope, I’ve said, “you can have your cousin and a friend, we can do small things”, no more big ones, mama is done!’
She then told mother-of-two Hoda: ‘In fact, I think we need to make a “mama is done” list of things we’re never doing again,’ as her co-host agreed and started: ‘Mama’s done when you’re begging to stay up late, the answer is “No.” Mama’s done. Not even five minutes late.’
‘Guess what else mama is done with? Mama is done with ungrateful behavior,’ Jenna fired back, before adding: ‘You better say thank you and please!’
Jenna said that Poppy’s friend went missing in the water park at the American Dream mall
Jenna said that she’s decided her children can no longer have ‘big parties’ for their birthdays
Jenna pictured with her husband Henry Hager and their three children; Mila, Hal and Poppy
Hoda admitted that she is ‘done’ with her daughters Haley and Hope saying they ‘don’t like’ their dinner
Hoda continued: ‘Mama is done with you saying, “I don’t like my dinner.”
‘Oh yeah, mama is done, mama is done!’ Jenna responded in agreement. ‘Guess what mama is done with? Hal Hager jumping on top of me without any warning,’ she said, referring to her four-year-old son.
‘By the way, that can topple a mom over in moments. Hope does that!’ Hoda said, referring to her own four-year-old child.
‘She launches, you don’t even know, and then there’s an airborne kid coming at you!’ she joked as Jenna added: ‘It’s dangerous for you, it’s dangerous for them. We’re done!’
Jenna’s mom rant comes after she admitted earlier this month that she sometimes hides from her children when they misbehave.
Hoda was explaining to Jenna how difficult it can be to enforce discipline while also trying to be a ‘fun mom’, particularly when it comes to bath time – which led to Jenna admitting: ‘It’s a slippery slope! You know what I do? I just hide!’
‘But they have to take their bath?’ Hoda replied, as Jenna continued: ‘No, goodbye. If you are going to act like that, guess where I’m going? Hiding. Keep hitting me with that P.J Masks Toy and guess where I’m gonna go? Away from you, and I hide.
‘And then when I have taken a couple of deep breaths… and I have this memory of my mom going like…’ Jenna said as she imitated breathing.
‘And now I’ve realized that’s me, but I try to do it in private because I can’t stand it!’
