Jenna Bush Hager opened up about parenting friendships during the July 11 episode of Today with Jenna & Friends, sharing that while she values her connections with other moms, she’s not a fan of calling them “mom friends.”
“Some of my best ‘mom friends’, which I sort of hate that term because it implies they’re not my true friends, but some of my best mom friends are from the time I had my 12-year-old,” she said, referencing her oldest daughter, Mila.
Jenna and her husband Henry Chase Hager are also parents to daughter Poppy, 9, and son Hal, 5.
She went on to reflect on the friendships that grew out of that early parenting period.
“When I had my first child, I was in a baby group, and one of the women from that group is now one of my best friends in the world,” she shared.
“Now we have pre-teens, and so to go through every stage of life together? I think it is necessary to have that community.”
Guest host Dwyane Wade, who is also a parent of five, agreed with her take. He pointed out how important these relationships can be for both parents and their kids.
“Especially for your kids,” he said. “Once they get their friends, these playdates [are] big in the world now, obviously, right? So you have to have a relationship with their parents.”
Wade added that it’s not just about coordination.
“One, for them to allow their kids to come over or vice versa, but also two, if their parents are going to come over, [you got to get along],” he said.
Their conversation highlighted how parenting often brings people together in ways that go far beyond the title of “mom” or “dad,” and how these friendships can become lasting bonds that support families through every stage of childhood.
