Mika Brzezinski Takes Pride in Motherhood! ‘Morning Joe’ Host’s Quotes About Parenting Her Daughters

On Raising Her Girls While Working

Mika loved her job on CBS Evening News, and so did her daughters.

“My two girls were especially proud. We had been on this journey together, with mommy flying all over the country to report on news stories for a decade,” she told Today in January 2010. “Carlie came with me to a shoot on Sesame Street. Emilie liked to hide under the desk as I anchored the Sunday Evening News. They felt at home at CBS. My colleagues knew them by name and they loved coming to work with mommy.”

On Handling Losing Her Dream Job

Her daughters were affected deeply when she was fired from CBS after the departure of Dan Rather. Mika had gone to pick Carlie up at school, finding her upset.

“My child was clearly upset; the teacher looked uncomfortable and said in a low voice, ‘Carlie tells me you’re leaving your job, and she’s very upset.’ I turned to Carlie and said, ‘That’s a good thing, right? It’s a good thing because we’ll get time together. No more rushing. No more missing your events. No more job!’” Mika recalled. “She pulled her head up, and, with two big blue eyes pooling with tears, said, ‘But Mommy, you love it so much! I don’t want you to have to leave your job.’”

“That moment was the first time I truly cried about what had happened to me, to us. I realized that it was a huge mistake to ‘protect’ my children from the truth,” Mika continued. “They are smarter than that and deserve the truth, even when it is not easy. I realized it would be OK to mourn together, to be angry together, to be discouraged together, and to be honest with each other. Carlie’s sheer honesty and concern for me broke my heart. At that moment, I cried about my job loss, no OUR job loss.”

On Teaching Her Kids About Money

Mika shared some of her takeaways about teaching her daughters about finances at an early age.

“Start when your daughters are young, and talk about how we make choices based on our values,” she told MSNBC in April 2019. “It’s OK to say we choose to spend less on eating out because we like to spend more on family vacations or college saving. You’re looking to communicate the fact that it’s a limited resource and we all spend a lifetime choosing.”

On Watching Her Kids Grow Up

Mika, who developed a close relationship with her own mother over time, admitted that parenting comes with its own set of trials.

“When your daughters develop their own relationships, navigate their first careers, or decide to have kids, they’ll go through great highs and low lows – and they’ll begin to realize they need their moms a lot more than they thought,” Mika shared. “So, in the really tough moments, (especially if you feel like you have to walk on eggshells) know that your daughter also loves you so much, and she is likely still learning who she is and how to express herself.”

On Managing a Career and Motherhood

In her 2009 book, All Things At Once, Mika opened up about the lessons she was teaching other mothers in the workforce.

“Motherhood is one of the first things I talk about when I speak with young women about jump-starting their career — even if they don’t ask. ‘Don’t forget to have children,’ I say. ‘If you want a family, don’t put it off,’” she wrote. “I’ll usually get some confused looks and bulging eyeballs in response — as in, Did she just say that? It’s a message young women don’t often hear, but I believe it’s elemental. There’s nothing wrong with putting both family and work at the top of your list of priorities, giving each equal value and care, right from the start. I’d even argue that finding a good man is far more difficult than finding the right job, and it’s one of the most important decisions you’ll make in life, so why put it off? If that’s what you want, start reaching for it now. All of it. The sooner, the better.”