Jenna Bush Hager recently shared a humorous incident involving her son Hal and daughter Poppy, which highlighted the playful nature of childhood. During a light-hearted moment, Hal, aged five, used a novelty “fart gun”—a creation from the popular Minions franchise—to shoot his sister, sparking a need for an apology.
Poppy had repeatedly asked Hal to stop making the nasty ass sound blaster, but he paid no mind. Her unintentional role in all of this was to become the target of his mischief. Hal refused to listen to her requests and continued to shoot the toy at her. All the while, their father, Henry Hager, saw the drama play out. After the event, Henry made the experience a little less daunting with his charming advice to the father, “Good luck, Dad!” He knew the struggles involved in raising small kids.
Well done Jenna Bush Hager for taking it upon yourself to teach the youth responsibility and compassion. She assisted Hal in composing an apology letter to Poppy. She shared that her son was just learning his letters and needed support with his writing.
Hal is 5 and he’s just been introduced to his letters. He doesn’t know how to write. Now, I actually wrote that, but he dictated it,” she recalled.
So he wrote a handwritten note that said, “Dear Poppy. I’m sorry I shot you with the fart gun. Here’s the touching message that Jenna posted to her Instagram Stories. Most importantly, it was a tribute to Hal’s attempt at mending their brother-sister bond.
The conversation about the fart gun emerged during an episode of “Today with Jenna & Friends,” when Andrew Rannells inquired about the novelty item. In the first panel, Jenna discussed the conception of the fart gun and joked about its importance in contemporary play.
It’s true! It’s amazing!” Then back in the ‘90s we just went out to the bar and reveled in the rings of smoke,” she mentioned. She made an amusing connection between those old school spare time pursuits and modern creative challenges.
This incident illustrates a key avoidance strategy all too common during parenting. It beautifully captures the challenge of balancing the playful spirit of little ones with nourishing empathy, cooperation, and connection among siblings.