Hoda Kotb Says Her Daughter Called Her Out For Using a Sharp 'Tone of Voice'

"It reminds us, what we say comes echoing right back to us," Kotb said of the parenting lesson

Hoda Kotb is sharing an eye-opening mom moment.

On Friday's episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, the TV anchor, 59, confessed that she was recently called out by her 4-year-old daughter, Hope Catherine, for breaking one of her own rules.

"[She] asked me, 'Mom, how come you use the tone of voice you tell us not to use? How come you use it on us sometimes?'" Kotb recounted to friend and cohost Jenna Bush Hager.

Kotb — who is also mom to daughter Haley Joy, 6 — said the question caught her completely off guard. "I was like, 'Oh.' And you just realize ..." she said, before explaining how she handled what turned out to be an important teaching moment for not only her daughter, but for her too.

"I said, 'Well, sometimes I use that tone because it's very serious. I really want you to listen, okay? It's a serious matter. It's not like the fun stuff. When I use that tone it's because it's serious," she recalled.

"But it's kind of interesting to have those conversations when everything's not crying and chaos," Kotb added, prompting Bush Hager, 41, to jump in and agree.

"Yeah, to have a real conversation," the former first daughter said.

"Yeah, sometimes we have to do that," Kotb replied, continuing her story. "And [my daughters] were like, 'Yeah, but you tell us not to.' And they're laughing and joking around."

Kotb said the moment served as a much-needed reminder that "what we say [as parents] comes echoing right back to us."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Last month, Kotb shared an update on Hope, who spent several days in the intensive care unit earlier this year. At the time, Kotb was unveiling her new book, "Hope Is a Rainbow," which she said Hope inspired.

Related: Hoda Kotb Admits Her Mother Buys All of Her Kids’ Clothes: ‘She Really Loves It’

"I wrote this a while ago, before Hope was, you know, got sick and is on the mend and all that stuff," Kotb said. "It was based on my daughter, who, of course, I had dreamt of her and hoped for her and her name just fell in."

"It just reminds me — and she just reminds me — that hope is all around every corner. No matter what you go through, no matter what hardship you endure, there she is," she added.

In March, Kotb revealed that Hope had experienced some health complications, but did not provide any further details about what exactly led to her hospitalization.

"My youngest, Hope, was in the ICU and then in the hospital for a little over a week," she told co-host Savannah Guthrie at the time. "I'm so grateful she's home, she is back home. I was waiting for that day to come, and we are watching her closely."

Related: Hoda Kotb Took Her Daughters to Their First Concert, a KidzBop Show: 'They Didn't Want to Leave'

She said she was overwhelmed by the support she received during that difficult time from not only her loved ones but Hope's care team.

"You know what I realized too, Savannah? It's like, when your child is ill, the amount of gratitude you can have for people who helped you out," she continued.

"So I'm grateful for the doctors at Weill Cornell who were amazing and the nurses. And I'm grateful for my family and I'm grateful to friends like you who were there every single day. So I want to say thank you for that. I love you."

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.