Although Hoda Kotb loves being a mom to her two daughters, she admits she struggled a little bit when she first welcomed them into her family.
During a session at Today’s Making Space Wellness Weekend with Hoda Kotbthe Today co-host, 60, spoke about the topic of imposter syndrome with author Suzy Welch. “There are women who are at the top of their game who we would look at and say, ‘Wow,’ who are sitting at home and thinking to themselves, ‘Am I really good enough?’ ” Kotb said.
“At one point, after I got my kids, I said to myself, ‘I wonder if I deserve them.’ Imagine that feeling. That’s so crazy, but I thought it,” the mom of two remembered. “And I thought, ‘I’ll just work really hard to be really good, because I’m not sure.”
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“It took some time for me to realize I do deserve these kids. I’m here, I deserve to be their mother,” she continued. “I think for all of us in here, we all have it about something, but you (need to) realize, ‘I’m worth it.'”
Kotb is mom to daughter Hope, 5, and Haley, 7.
Speaking with PEOPLE for an October cover story, the news anchor gave an update on her daughter Hope, who experienced a sudden medical crisis in February 2023 that left the family searching for solutions and settling into a long-term medical journey.
In the last six months, the mom of two said, “things have stabilized,” and moved Hope and Haley out of New York City and into Westchester. Since the move, Kotb told PEOPLE that Hope is “thriving” and “improving.”
“We’re in a place where Hope is thriving,” Kotb told PEOPLE. “She’s improving, we’re watching her, and I think as time goes on, we’ll have a better handle on it, but we’re already seeing great differences.”
She continued, “We really have excellent care; I have people helping us out. I feel like she is finding steady footing.”
Kotb also made another major life change this year, announcing in September that she will be leaving the Today show after 17 years to focus on her kids.
“My broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie,” she explained in a letter to staff of the NBC morning show, shared Thursday, Sept. 26. “I will miss you all desperately, but I’m ready and excited.”
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