Jenna Bush Hager's Suggestions on Addressing Body Shaming Criticisms

Jenna Bush Hager's Suggestions on Addressing Body Shaming Criticisms

In the February/March issue of REAL SIMPLE Magazine, Jenna Bush Hager, the host of TODAY With Jenna and Friends, and guest host Talia Parkinson-Jones, an executive producer on TODAY and problem solver extraordinaire, tackle some tricky social dilemmas. These ladies share their candid wisdom on air (catch them weekdays at 10 a.m. ET.), and below, you'll find their advice on a range of sticky social situations, like decoding your friend's intentions and dealing with an unfaithful ex.

Got your own social quandary? Email Jenna at [email protected], and she or her guest just might offer up some sage advice for you in an upcoming issue of REAL SIMPLE.

Unraveling a Friend's Intentions

Anonymous writes: "My friend often reaches out with texts like “Hey! Are you free on Saturday?” The issue: I don’t know whether she’s asking if I’m free to hang out with her or if I’m free to dog-sit or babysit. And it’s often the latter. How do I respond in a way that gives me the option to hang out but maybe not dog-sit?"**

Jenna Bush Hager: "Well, that’s a lot of responsibility in a friendship. It’s not very fair of her. I think you need to be transparent. You can write back and say, ‘Hey, if you’re asking if I’m free to hang, I’m totally free, but I can’t hang with the dogs.’"

Talia Parkinson-Jones: "I’d tell her you can hang and you’re really looking forward to having some fun. You haven’t seen each other in a while. You can’t wait to go out and do something fun."

Jenna Bush Hager: "You don’t think she needs to transparently say that she can’t or doesn’t want to dog-sit?

Talia Parkinson-Jones: "I don’t think she needs to say that part. Just say, ‘I’m really looking forward to hanging out with you. I haven’t seen you in a while. I can’t wait to go out and do something fun.’"

Jenna Bush Hager: "But what if the friend writes back and asks if she can dog-sit? She just says she can’t?"

Talia Parkinson-Jones: "Yes, exactly. No explanation needed!"

Friends shouldn't be putting us in bad positions, and they should accept a blanket no without an excuse.

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Confronting an Unfaithful Ex

Sarah writes: "My ex-husband and I were together for 22 years. I’m happy in a new relationship, and I’ve forgiven my ex for cheating on me with his current wife of four years. But she recently posted a ‘happy anniversary’ Facebook message stating that they’d had ‘eight years of adventures.’ That math doesn’t math—even based on what I know now. Should she be bragging about being with him while we were still married to all our mutual friends and family?! This seems so disrespectful, and it opened some old wounds! Should I say something to her or him? One day their two boys might do the math, and I think it makes her look bad in the end.

Talia Parkinson-Jones: "You should definitely say something to the current wife!"

Jenna Bush Hager: "If you have an open enough relationship with either of them, you could just say, ‘Eight years—the math is giving me a headache.’"

Talia Parkinson-Jones: "I actually don’t think she should beat around the bush. I think she has to be up-front and honest, especially when there are children involved. Tell her exactly what you just told us: that you’re happy for them and you’re all in a good place, but this new info is bugging you and it’s not a good look. I’m guessing she’ll know you’re right."

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If you're grappling with a social dilemma, reach out to Jenna for some straight-talking advice.

1. The Etiquette section of RealSimple.com features an article titled 'How to Deal With Phone-Distracted Friends', providing advice on handling social situations where friends are more engaged with their phones than the conversation.
2. In the 'RealSimple News' section, there's a piece about a disrespectful pullquote in an article, highlighting the importance of clear communication and consideration in maintaining relationships.
3. The host of 'TODAY With Jenna and Friends', Jenna Bush Hager, addresses a reader's dilemma in the 'Life' section of RealSimple.com, offering advice on how to decipher a friend's ambiguous text and avoid being burdened with unwanted responsibilities.
4. In the 'Etiquette' section, Talia Parkinson-Jones, a guest host and problem solver, offers advice on confronting an unfaithful ex's current partner in a respectful manner, addressing the disrespectful behavior of posting inaccurate anniversary dates on social media.

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