Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush as young girls.Photo:Jenna Bush Hager/instagram
Jenna Bush Hager/instagram
Jenna Bush Hageradmitted she and her twin sisterBarbara Bushhad aliases as toddlers.
DuringToday with Hoda & Jennaon Thursday, Bush Hager told co-hostHoda Kotbabout her parents' unusual nicknames for their daughters.
TheTodayco-hosts discussed the “childhood wounds” they dealt with while growing up, and how they impacted their personalities and later successes. Bush Hager noted how her childhood quirky nickname and appearance may have also affected how she sees herself.
“I don’t know if this is something I told myself, but I feel like the kids who weren’t as cute when you’re little have to have great personalities,” said the 41-year-old host. “Because you kind of do look like a little boy and people say, ‘What’s your son’s name?’”
She continued to explain that her parents, former PresidentGeorge W. BushandLaura Bush, called her Benny and called her sister Beau. “Because somebody said ‘Your twin boys are adorable’ and they actually came up with full names for us because they thought it was funny," she joked. “That, in turn, made me funny. If I was the cutest little girl, I might have been in pageants.”
Kotb, 59, quipped, “What happened to your personality?” To which Bush Hager replied, “It could have dwindled!”
Ahead of Bush Hager’s nickname story, she shared with her co-host that she was typically the last person to be picked in gym class. “It feels bad but this is not the sword that I die on," she said. “There’s other childhood wounds that kind of, every once in a while pick a little.”
Kotb agreed, adding, “I think that feeling comes out in so many ways.”
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.
Bush Hager added other examples of how those feelings emerged. “It could be the day of Valentine’s Day when they send out the bouquets of flowers…” she began.
Kotb interjected, “And you wonder, ‘Am I getting one?’” She added how those wounded moments can arise when participating in classrooms. “It could be when the teacher calls out your name in the class and you’re praying, ‘Not me, not me.’"
“Does that resonate?” she asked. “It resonates with me.”
source: people.com
