Savannah Guthrie Says She and Hoda Kotb Bond Over Being 'Older Moms': 'It Gives You Perspective'

Savannah Guthrie is opening up about the special bond she shares with fellow Today anchor Hoda Kotb.

Speaking to PEOPLE about her connection with Kotb, who graces the cover of PEOPLE's Family Issue, Guthrie says she and Kotb bond on several levels as parents, one especially being that the two are both "older moms."

"We talk a lot about being older moms, that we're in our 50s but our kids are little, and there are minuses to that, but we both definitely feel like it gives you perspective and it does make you calmer as a parent," says Guthrie.

Guthrie, 50, shares daughter Vale, 7, and son Charles "Charley" Max, 5, with husband Michael Feldman, while Kotb, 58, is mom to daughters Haley Joy, 5, and Hope Catherine, 3, with ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman.

Along with being an "older" parent, Guthrie says she and Kotb often talk about raising their kids in the city and in the spotlight.

"Raising kids when their moms are in the public eye, that's something that we talk about and are wanting to be really thoughtful about. Also how much we talk about our kids and how much we want to post pictures of our kids," says Guthrie. "We want to be really careful about that and thoughtful."

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"We try to bounce ideas off each other," she adds. "Our kids are the same age but we're also in a similar place in life and similar career."

Guthrie notes that she and Kotb are "real resources for each other," and even compare stories in the moments before going on live TV.

"Right before Today, we're talking about stories, we're talking about the news, but lots of mornings we're also talking about, 'Should I send my kid to all-day preschool or should it be half day?' 'What do you do when this one doesn't want to sleep and she's waking up the other one?' "

"It's so unusual and it's so wonderful to have somebody who's your coworker who's not only a mom but a mom of kids of virtually the same age. And so we're kind of going through a lot of the same things at the same time," she adds.

Watch the full episode of People Cover Story: Hoda Kotb below or on the PeopleTV app.

Jenna Bush Hager, Kotb's co-host on Today with Hoda & Jenna, echoes similar sentiments about exchanging parenting advice with Kotb, which Bush Hager tells PEOPLE makes for a "beautiful partnership."

"I'm just in awe of all of Hoda's dedication and commitment to her girls. I feel like everything she does, every decision she makes, everything she does is with them at the core of it. It's so inspiring to watch that," says Bush Hager, who shares daughters Mila, 9, and Poppy, 6, plus son Hal, 2, with husband Henry Hager.

"I feel like what a wonderful world that Hoda and I are different ages, and yet we're in the exact same stage of parenting," she continues. "We ask each other advice. We talk about our kids constantly."

Jake Chessum

For Kotb, building her life around her children has brought a greater joy than she could have imagined.

"Family to me is everything— and having one of my own is something I never thought I'd have," says Kotb who first became a mother through adoption in 2017 at age 52 after a breast cancer diagnosis and a subsequent divorce left her assuming motherhood wasn't in the cards.

"I always imagined family as my mom, my dad, my brother, my sister," she explains. "I envisioned it that way until I was 50. Imagine someone saying, 'Hey, guess what? You're actually going to have a whole other family.' It still surprises me! It delights me to know that I have Haley and Hope. They fell asleep on me yesterday after having meltdowns, and I sang to them, and in that moment I was just thinking to myself, 'I get to feel these things. We get to have this together.' It blows my mind that I get to have this adorable little family that's just right for me."

For more on Hoda Kotb, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, or subscribe here.