Hoda Kotb with her kids.Photo: Hoda Kotb Instagram
Hoda Kotbis making sure her daughters understand the importance of helping others.
During a new episode of her podcastMaking Space with Hoda Kotb, theTodayco-host, 58, shared the heartwarming tradition she has with her daughter whenever they go out to dinner together. Kotb is mom to daughtersHaley, 5, and 3-year-old Hope.
“Yesterday I took my daughter to dinner because we have a date, she’s 3,” Kotb began telling interview guest Mel Robbins. “And when we go out, we pick somebody in the restaurant who we’re gonna buy their meal.”
Kotb then explained that she and Hope keep their good deed a secret from the stranger.
“My daughter gets to pick because we don’t say a word. Nobody ever knows. That’s how we do it,” she shared.
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 juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“I tell my daughter that sometimes we just do things to help. You’re not looking for a wow, or an atta girl,” added Kotb.
Over the summer, Kotb sharedanother story about one of her big-hearted daughters. During an episode ofToday with Hoda & Jenna, Kotb explained that her daughter Haley has a chore chart where she gets a quarter for each chore she gets done, like making her bed.
Once Haley had saved up some money, Kotb asked her what she wanted to do with it. After briefly considering a dollhouse, the kindergartener came up with an idea she liked better.
“I want to buy an ice cream cone for Mo,” Haley told Kotb, referring to a man who runs a restaurant in their neighborhood.
TODAY with Hoda & Jenna/Twitter
“She said, ‘I want to call him and I want to find out what his favorite flavor is,’ " Kotb continued. After giving him a quick call, Haley learned that Mo’s favorite flavor is chocolate.
“Then we see him randomly on the street. And he said, ‘Why did you want to know my favorite ice cream? And [Haley] said, ‘Well, I’ve been doing my chores all week and I want to get you an ice cream,’ " Kotb recalled.
The next day, Kotb, Haley and little sister Hope met Mo at the ice cream shop, where Haley treated him to a cone.
“She took her money out of her Ziploc and she got the biggest hug,” the proud mom shared. “Afterwards, we sat down — Hope, Haley, me and Mo and he said, ‘Do you know why this cone is extra special today? And Haley said, ‘Why?’ And he said, ‘Because it’s my birthday.’ "
Kotb explained how the good deed made her think about how important it is to be kind. “I was just thinking, like when you do something kind, the universe cooperates,” she said. “Like it happened to have been his birthday on that day with the ice cream?”
source: people.com
