Jenna Bush Hager on Her 'Intense' Parenting Choice and Passion for Early Literacy—Exclusive!

Jenna Bush Hager

Books are a Bush family passion. Growing up, Jenna Bush Hager's mother, former librarian and First Lady Laura Bush, and her paternal grandmother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, fostered a love for reading that's followed her into adulthood.

Although her grandmother, who was a champion of literacy, passed away before she launched her popular "Read with Jenna" book club in 2019, the TODAY co-host believes the late first lady would be thrilled to see her working in the literary space.

"I get to speak with authors who she loved and loved her like John Grisham and others who have said to me, 'Your grandmother would have really loved what you're doing.' And that is like the biggest compliment," Jenna told Parade in an exclusive new interview.

While the Love Comes First author is not "consciously" continuing her grandmother's legacy, Jenna does think there is a kind of "unconscious push" because of her. "We got to share books and book recommendations and both she and my mom have just inspired me so much," she explained. 

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Knowing the importance of early literacy, Jenna teamed up with the Kendra Scott Foundation on Nov. 1 to help unveil the foundation's first Little Yellow Library, which aims to support Title 1 schools by providing access to books for classrooms and libraries. With her partnership, the mom of three is excited to make "sure that kids, all kids, no matter where you're born, or where you attend school, have the same access to books and materials." 

Continue reading to find out what Jenna Bush Hager told Parade about returning to the classroom as a teacher one day, what she's truly passionate about and her parenting choice that "might be too intense."

How did this partnership with Kendra Scott come about?

Well, I just read about everything that the company is doing with literacy and their philanthropy is incredible. And particularly around this new project with Little Yellow Library and as somebody who's obsessed with both reading as a pastime myself, but also reading to kids and knowing the importance of early literacy, I just wanted to be involved. I think it's so interesting and important what they're doing.

Nov. 1 is the opening of the first library...Will you be involved in the opening of future Little Yellow Libraries?

I hope so. All I know about is today [laughs], but I would love to be involved and would love to help spread them around the country because I was a teacher. I actually taught third and fifth grade, and not only have I read the studies on the importance of early literacy, but I also saw it with my own students. The kids that had access to books, both in the classroom, but also at home, were just so better prepared for school. And so yeah, I hope so. But I get to be there today [Nov. 1], and that's what I'm really looking forward to.

What do you and the Kendra Scott Foundation hope to achieve with the Little Yellow Libraries?

We just think that it's really important to make sure that these low-income schools, which is where I taught. I taught in a charter school in Washington, D.C., and then also at a free public boarding school. We just know that all of these Title I schools, schools that don't necessarily have the same resources as other schools, don't necessarily have the materials that kids need. And so in partnership with First Book, I'm so excited that, and of course the Kendra Scott Foundation, to be making sure that kids, all kids, no matter where you're born, or where you attend school, have the same access to books and materials.

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This first library is located at a school in Brooklyn. Does visiting schools ever make you miss teaching? Is it something that you'd want to return to one day?

Yeah. I mean, definitely. I think I'll go back to education.

As a little kid, I dreamed of being a teacher, like it was something I knew I was going to do. And so even when I was a teacher and the TODAY show came to me because I was on the show for several books that I wrote, and asked if I would want to come work here, I was like, "No way. Teaching was my plan. It's what I've always wanted to do. No." [Laughs] And then obviously, I love my job here and I do feel like working on television allows a different type of teaching.

One of the things that keeps me even able to do this, is that I get to visit principals and teachers throughout my work on the TODAY show... Hoda [Kotb] said it once when she watched a piece. She's like "It feels like you're going home when you're returning to school, to different schools to tell stories of teachers and librarians" and I'm like, that's how I feel. It feels like there's this calming, amazing feeling about walking into any school, but so yes, it makes me miss it terribly. I think at some time I will go back to it, but I am happy with what I'm doing right now.

Your grandmother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, was an advocate for literacy. Do you ever feel like you're continuing her legacy with this partnership and your book club?

It's so interesting, because I think she'd be so excited. She died probably right before I started the book club, so she didn't really get to see any of what's happened with "Read with Jenna," so I know she would be delighted by it. And I get to speak with authors who she loved and loved her like John Grisham and others who have said to me, "Your grandmother would have really loved what you're doing." And that is like the biggest compliment...

I think this is what's so important in parenting, is that I don't think I'm consciously doing that, but I do think both she and my mom, who was a librarian, have just instilled this incredible love and passion for reading that I can't imagine it not being part of my life in some way, you know? And a big part. And it's so funny because the other day my daughter Mila, I was like "Mila, what are you reading right now? You seem to be like in a lull? How can we change that?" And she's like, "Mom! Not everybody has to be as obsessed with reading as you!" and I was like, "Oh gosh. I may be doing it the wrong way. [Laughs] Like it might be too intense."

But I think the truth is, is that I hope to be doing the same thing with my kids. I'm reading to them every single night. I'm talking to them about books. I'm modeling reading, which is something that parents of all age kids, but particularly older kids can do. There are all these studies on if parents read before bed, which is what my parents did. They read to us until a certain age, and then they were reading like, everybody went into their room and read and that was like the vibe and therefore, it's just what we do, you know?

And I think modeling behavior is equally as important. So that's a long end way of saying, I definitely am thrilled to be working in this field. And I know she would be too and I think it's kind of this unconscious push because I watched her... We got to share books and book recommendations and both she and my mom have just inspired me so much.

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With streamers, video games and social media, I feel like it's very easy for books to take a backseat for kids these days. I was curious how you made reading fun for your kids, but you're doing the modeling reading.

Well, modeling, but also reading to your kids. Like kids just want to be with us, you know, and have uninterrupted time. So it's really important to put away technology, turn off the television [and] cuddle up with our children.

I have the fondest memories of being in bed with my mom while she read to us and my dad, and that's what I do every night with my kids. As they get older, it slightly changes, like now Poppy's reading out loud to me some, or if she's really into a chapter book, I'll take my book into bed with her in her room and we'll both read and the same thing with Mila.

I just think kids want uninterrupted time. And so if we make that time structured around reading, like if that time is structured around television or video games or iPads, then that's what they will be drawn to. But if we create that time structured around reading, they're going to feel safe and loved and that's what they're gonna remember.

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