“‘Do a Great Job, Mommy!’ — Laura Jarrett’s Heartfelt Balancing Act Between Saturday TODAY and Motherhood Melts America’s Heart”
When Laura Jarrett signed on to become co-anchor of Saturday TODAY, she knew the decision would change her family’s rhythm. Gone were the lazy weekend mornings with pancakes, pajamas, and cartoons — replaced by 4 a.m. call times, breaking news rundowns, and the bright lights of Studio 1A.
But in return, something unexpected happened. Her children — 4-year-old James and 1-year-old June — didn’t see a mom who was “too busy.” They saw a woman doing what she loves. And one morning, as Jarrett was heading out the door, James gave her the kind of encouragement that stops a working parent in their tracks.
“‘Mommy, are you going to work?’ he asked,” Jarrett recalls, smiling. “‘Yes, James,’ I told him. And he said, ‘Do a great job!’”
It was such a simple exchange — but for Jarrett, it was everything. “He knows I’d love to stay and play, to go to the park,” she says. “But he also knows I enjoy my work. And that’s okay. I want him to see that.”
A “Whirlwind Year” for the Journalist Turned Morning Show Star
At 41, Jarrett — the daughter of former Obama senior advisor Valerie Jarrett — has had what she calls “a whirlwind” year. After serving as NBC’s Senior Legal Correspondent, covering high-stakes cases from Capitol Hill to the courtroom, she stepped into one of television’s most cherished weekend seats alongside Peter Alexander.
“I’m so excited that I get to work with Peter,” she tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview. “We get to have fun, have conversations, and let the audience see a lighter side of me — one that’s different from covering murder trials and impeachments.”
For a journalist who once lived in the world of hard facts and breaking developments, Saturday TODAY marks a refreshing shift. “This is about connection,” she says. “About bringing people together over coffee and conversation. It’s news, yes — but it’s also life.”
Motherhood, Honesty, and the Myth of Balance
While many working moms struggle to “balance” career and home, Jarrett is refreshingly realistic about what that looks like.
“My position is: there is no balance,” she says matter-of-factly. “You just do the best you can every single day. Make sure your kids know you love them. Hug them. And when you’re with them — be present.”
Her husband, Tony Balkissoon, an attorney and fellow public servant, shares her philosophy. Together, they’ve carved out what Jarrett calls “micro-moments” of connection amid the chaos.
“When I do TODAY during the week, it’s early enough that I can jet back home and have breakfast with the kids,” she explains. “I get to start their day, then go back to work. That’s such a privilege — not every parent gets that time.”
It’s in those quiet mornings — cereal bowls, sippy cups, and sleepy smiles — that Jarrett finds her grounding. “I might not always get to tuck them in at night,” she says, “but breakfast with them feels like magic.”
From Courtrooms to the Couch: A Softer Side of Laura Jarrett
Known for her sharp legal mind and calm composure on air, Jarrett admits she’s excited to show viewers a different side — the version of herself that dances in the kitchen, giggles at toddler jokes, and knows every verse of a Cocomelon song.
“I’m excited for the audience to see me have fun and laugh,” she says. “People see me covering serious, often dark stories during the week. But on weekends? I get to talk about my crazy kids, my messy house, and the beautiful chaos of being a working mom.”
That honesty has resonated deeply with viewers, especially mothers who see themselves reflected in her. “She’s real,” one fan wrote on social media after Jarrett’s first Saturday TODAY broadcast. “She’s all of us — juggling, laughing, loving, and trying her best.”
Life at Home: James, June, and Endless Laughter
At home in New York, the Jarrett-Balkissoon household is anything but quiet.
“James just turned 4 and is in a major puzzle phase,” Jarrett laughs. “He’s doing Sudoku now, which is wild. The other day, I tried to help and he said, ‘That’s okay, Mom. I don’t think you get it.’”
And baby June, she says, is “pure sunshine.” “From the moment she wakes up until bedtime, she’s smiling,” Jarrett says. “When I walk in the door after work, she squeals — like she hasn’t seen me in a year. I just want to scoop her up and never let go.”
It’s those moments — the messy, imperfect, joy-filled ones — that remind her what it’s all for. “Now that I’m a mom of two, I know how fast it all goes,” she reflects. “They’re exhausting little people, but they teach you patience you didn’t know you had. And when it’s hard, I remember what my mom always told me: this too shall pass.”
The Privilege — and Pressure — of the Spotlight
Despite her packed schedule, Jarrett still describes her work as “a privilege.”
“I have a front seat to history,” she says. “I get to tell stories that matter — and now, I get to do it in a way that’s more human, more relatable.”
Her colleagues say that authenticity is what makes her special. “Laura brings warmth and intellect,” says co-anchor Peter Alexander. “She’s whip-smart, but also deeply empathetic — that’s rare.”
Still, Jarrett doesn’t pretend it’s easy. “The days are long,” she admits. “There’s not a lot of sleep. But when it stops — when my kids are grown, when the news quiets down — I think I’m going to miss it.”
Redefining “Having It All”
Laura Jarrett may not have found perfect balance, but what she has found is far richer: purpose.
She’s raising two children who see their mother not just as “busy,” but as brave — a woman who works hard, loves deeply, and still finds time for morning giggles and bedtime stories.
“James and June are watching,” she says softly. “They’re learning what it means to show up — for your job, your family, and yourself. If they grow up knowing that, I’ll feel like I did something right.”
And that small voice — “Do a great job, Mommy!” — still echoes in her heart each time she walks into the studio.
Because for Laura Jarrett, that’s exactly what she’s doing.
