Timing is everything, right? In a clip from her upcoming appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, Hoda Kotb discusses becoming a mom in her 50s — and the Today show host feels certain that she’s better equipped for parenthood this decade than any prior. Kotb and her New York financier boyfriend Joel Schiffman adopted daughter Haley Joy in 2017 followed by daughter Hope Catherine in 2019.
On the Wednesday, Nov. 13th, episode of The Dr. Oz Show, Kotb will share her favorite quotes to help with anxiety, stress and difficult days. But in a clip obtained by SheKnows, Kotb also opens up about how parenting in this phase of her life feels serendipitous. “Do you think motherhood came to you at the right time? Are you even better in your 50s as a mom than you would’ve been as a young woman trying to get your career going and rushing around?” asks Dr. Oz, to which Kotb sincerely replies, “I think so because I always struggled with patience, for starters. I think both girls have made me weirdly calmer.”
Kotb goes on to explain that, through her girls, she gained clarity. “I look at them and I think really what happened to me, Dr. Oz, is Haley shows up and they put her in my arms. In that moment, everything was clear.”
Being in her 50s when she became a mother made it easier for Kotb to prioritize her daughters. “When Hope came to us, I thought to myself, every decision I’ve made has been easy since the minute they arrived. I can say no to things. I know what’s important. If it’s good for them, I’m doing it. If it’s not good for them, I’m not doing it. That’s it. The world snapped into focus. It’s wild to have that at this stage in your life. You’re like, I’m clear. I’m in charge finally, I know what I’m doing, which is weird,” she tells Dr. Oz.
This isn’t the first time Dr. Oz has gotten Kotb to open up about motherhood. In 2018, she shared the story of how she and Schiffman came to adopt. “I remember I said to Joel, ‘I want to ask you a question. I’m going to bring something up to you and don’t answer me right now.’ I said, ‘Just let it marinate for a day or a week or as long as you need,'” Kotb recounted, continuing, “He said, ‘OK.’ I said, ‘I just can’t hold it in, so I’m going to say it.’ So I said, ‘I’d like to explore adoption with you.’ And he said, ‘I don’t need a day.'”
And the rest, as they say, is history.
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