Jenna Bush Hager and Hoda Kotb were recently joined by a panel of parents and children health experts on Today With Hoda & Jenna to discuss the bane of every parent’s existence: Legos.
As the experts shared advice on what parents should and shouldn’t prioritize when it comes to their children and household chores, Jamie Banks said, “My kids can care less if I don’t do the dishes or if there’s toys everywhere, but if I just – without distractions – play Legos for an hour.”
Kotb cut her off, saying almost in disbelief, “An hour? Wow, girl. That’s goals.”
Bush Hager had similarly feelings, saying they could start “at 15 minutes.”
The segment later took a hilarious turn when pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart suggested that parents don’t necessarily have to play Legos for an hour with their kids. “It could be 15 minutes where you’re directly playing with them and 20 minutes where you’re observing them and just commenting on their playing,” she said.
Kotb and Bush Hager immediately knew how their kids would react to something like that.
Mimicking her daughters, Kotb said, “She’ll be like, ‘Mom, come on. Mom, come on.’”
“‘Why aren’t you playing with us? You’re so boring, mom,’” Bush Hager said. “Thats what I hear.”
Their strong reactions elicited laughs from everybody as Kotb admitted, “This is actually our therapy session.”
The segment, titled “Unloading The Mental Load,” spoke on the overwhelming responsibilities mothers face juggling parenting, household chores, work and other day-to-day tasks that have them reaching their breaking point.
Though hilarious, the topic of Legos sparked a deeper conversation among the parents about how important it was to “engage” in what they “value as a parent” with their kids.
“See that’s the problem, then I’m sitting for an hour, that’s like [the time it takes] cleaning the whole house,” Banks added about playing with her children.
Kotb jokingly begged Dr. Lockhart, “Could you please help her with some advice?”
Today with Jenna and Hoda airs on weekdays at 10 a.m. ET on NBC.
