One would think with a father like George W. Bush, Jenna Bush Hager's childhood would have been marred with strict rules, but she insists her childhood was not what it seems.
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The star for the most part grew up in the spotlight, as not only was her father President of the United States, which happened when she was nearing twenty, but her grandfather as well, when she was eight-years-old.
Though surely being a First Granddaughter and First Daughter came with its challenges – and plenty of Secret Service – Jenna revealed her parents were actually surprisingly not strict with her.
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Speaking on the latest episode of 4th Hour with Hoda & Jenna on 19 October, the host revealed the "long leash" her parents actually had her on.
Her and co-host Hoda Kotb were discussing whether the two grew up with lots of guy friends, which led to the mom-of-three confessing that she would blame her guy friends for any "rebellious" activity she got caught doing.
However, then she admitted: "I realized last night just how not strict my parents were… I mean they were not strict."
© Photo: Getty ImagesJenna has previously opened up about how her father handled her occasional misbehavior
She explained: "I mean they didn't want to let me go on a 'car date' but then they caught me on a 'car date' and they were like, 'Fine,' you know." The best-selling author added: "They just gave us a very long leash."
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Hoda then noted how different her childhood was, particularly because of the fact that her parents had emigrated from Egypt when she was very young, and that it led to them not always understanding the behavior American children were used to.
© Photo: Getty ImagesJenna and her twin sister Barbara Bush grew up between DC and Texas
She recalled: "I told a joke at the dinner table and my dad was like, 'Oh that's very advanced,' I was like, what…"
"I think because they thought we were so far ahead in that way, so they were like, 'Pull the reins in,' kinda thing," she said.
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