Hoda Kotb Reveals What Inspired Move to the Suburbs: 'I Want My Kids to Feel Grass on Their Feet' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Hoda Kotb with her daughters Haley Joy and Hope Catherine.Photo:Hoda Kotb/Instagram

Hoda Kotb/Instagram

Hoda Kotbis kicking off her next decade in a brand new space.TheTodayanchor celebrated her milestone 60th birthday on Friday, Aug. 9. But her age isn’t the only thing changing; back in March, she revealed that she and her daughtersHaley, 7, and Hope, 4, were moving out of their New York City apartment and into a new suburban home.“We haven’t officially moved in yet,” Kotb tells PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 12, noting that spending two weeks overseas covering the 2024 Summer Olympics pushed things back a bit. “I was away in Paris, and then just getting back and dealing with my birthday and other things, it’s been on the back-burner. But we’re almost there!“She went on to joke that furniture has already been slowly moved in now that the painting has been completed. “They’re like, ‘You have two couches, where do you want them?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know, put them wherever, I’ll get to it later!'“PEOPLE was catching up with Kotb from theTodaystudios where the NBC morning news show was throwing a huge bash in honor of her birthday.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Hoda Kotb celebrates her 60th birthday with fans on the Aug. 12 episode of the ‘Today’ show.Debra L Rothenberg/WireImageLeaving the city for the suburbs wasn’t an easy choice for Kotb, she admits, especially becauseshe’s been in the same apartment since she welcomed her girls via adoption in 2017 and 2019 (respectively). But the move is all about opening herself and her daughters up to new things.“I want my kids to feel grass on their feet, and play in the yard, and ride bikes down the street, and run up and down the stairs,” she says. “I just see that life for them in this perfect house in this beautiful little town where I know they’ll be able to blossom into beautiful, independent, strong women.“The timing is especially right for Kotb, who notes that she’s in a “repotting phase” of her life.“It’s like my roots need a bigger pot,” she says. “You know when you take a plant out of a pot, and it’s roots are all twisted and tight? And then you put it in a bigger pot with fresh new soil and it just grows bigger and stronger? That’s the journey I’m on right now. And it’s going to hurt a little, to leave that pot that was so comfortable for so long. But in the end, it’s going to be exactly what we need.“Turning 60 has been a time of great reflection for Kotb. And while there are many lessons life has taught her over the years, none have been as profound as the ones she’s learned from motherhood.“Being a mom has shown me that all things are possible,” she tells PEOPLE. “I say to [my daughters]… when I look at their eyes, what do I see? And I see endless possibilities with them.“What exactly have they taught her? “They’ve taught me that I’m good enough as I am, with all my flaws and everything that I bring. They’ve taught me that there’s humor in some sometimes some of the most challenging places. And they’ve taught me that I was always good enough to be a mom,” Kotb says. “And now I get to for the rest of my life.“TheTodayshow airs weekdays beginning at 7 a.m. ET on NBC.

Hoda Kotbis kicking off her next decade in a brand new space.

TheTodayanchor celebrated her milestone 60th birthday on Friday, Aug. 9. But her age isn’t the only thing changing; back in March, she revealed that she and her daughtersHaley, 7, and Hope, 4, were moving out of their New York City apartment and into a new suburban home.

“We haven’t officially moved in yet,” Kotb tells PEOPLE on Monday, Aug. 12, noting that spending two weeks overseas covering the 2024 Summer Olympics pushed things back a bit. “I was away in Paris, and then just getting back and dealing with my birthday and other things, it’s been on the back-burner. But we’re almost there!”

She went on to joke that furniture has already been slowly moved in now that the painting has been completed. “They’re like, ‘You have two couches, where do you want them?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know, put them wherever, I’ll get to it later!'”

PEOPLE was catching up with Kotb from theTodaystudios where the NBC morning news show was throwing a huge bash in honor of her birthday.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Hoda Kotb celebrates her 60th birthday with fans on the Aug. 12 episode of the ‘Today’ show.Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage

Debra L Rothenberg/WireImage

Leaving the city for the suburbs wasn’t an easy choice for Kotb, she admits, especially becauseshe’s been in the same apartment since she welcomed her girls via adoption in 2017 and 2019 (respectively). But the move is all about opening herself and her daughters up to new things.

“I want my kids to feel grass on their feet, and play in the yard, and ride bikes down the street, and run up and down the stairs,” she says. “I just see that life for them in this perfect house in this beautiful little town where I know they’ll be able to blossom into beautiful, independent, strong women.”

The timing is especially right for Kotb, who notes that she’s in a “repotting phase” of her life.

“It’s like my roots need a bigger pot,” she says. “You know when you take a plant out of a pot, and it’s roots are all twisted and tight? And then you put it in a bigger pot with fresh new soil and it just grows bigger and stronger? That’s the journey I’m on right now. And it’s going to hurt a little, to leave that pot that was so comfortable for so long. But in the end, it’s going to be exactly what we need.”

Turning 60 has been a time of great reflection for Kotb. And while there are many lessons life has taught her over the years, none have been as profound as the ones she’s learned from motherhood.

“Being a mom has shown me that all things are possible,” she tells PEOPLE. “I say to [my daughters]… when I look at their eyes, what do I see? And I see endless possibilities with them.”

What exactly have they taught her? “They’ve taught me that I’m good enough as I am, with all my flaws and everything that I bring. They’ve taught me that there’s humor in some sometimes some of the most challenging places. And they’ve taught me that I was always good enough to be a mom,” Kotb says. “And now I get to for the rest of my life.”

TheTodayshow airs weekdays beginning at 7 a.m. ET on NBC.

source: people.com