Hoda Kotb on the emotions of moving from her kids’ first home: ‘I know it’s just a place’

Hoda Kotb is feeling emotional about her upcoming move.

“I was sitting at my desk this morning, where I sit every single morning. I light a candle, I have my journal, I do my stuff,” Hoda told Jenna Bush Hager on June 3. “And I thought to myself, ‘This is the last Monday that I’ll be sitting at this desk.’”

The New York City apartment was Hoda’s first family home with daughters Haley, 7, and Hope, 5. While chatting with Jenna, Hoda reminisced how Haley and Hope went from attempting to crawl up the stairs to “racing up and down” them like big kids. It's a space filled with memories.

“We had Christmases and Thanksgivings. There were so many things that we have built there,” Hoda said. “And I know it’s just a place.”

Jenna can relate. She moved nearly two years ago with her husband, Henry Hager, and their children Mila, 11, Poppy, 8, and Hal, 4.

“It was really hard,” Jenna shared. “There was one night where we sat on our couch in the empty apartment. I was just weeping because I thought ... 'We brought our babies home to this place. Henry and I weathered some beautiful things, and some hard things.'”

Come fall, Haley and Hope will be started a new school. In March, Hoda spoke to Arthur C. Brooks, who teaches happiness and leadership courses at Harvard Business School, about preparing her daughters for the transition.

Brooks suggested hosting private events such as a Bible study or a book club, to meet new people. He also said to act as if they have already been living there for years.

“Just pretend, like an Academy Award-winning performance,” Brooks said on Hoda’s “Making Space” podcast.

“It’s a complete game-changer because you speed up the clock,” he added.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com