Kelly Ripa’s birthday was yesterday so happy belated, Kelly! Last month, we talked about Kelly telling her daughter, Lola, that she didn’t want her to come home from college except for holidays. Kelly explained that learning how to work through problems on your own was a part of becoming an adult. We had a thoughtful discussion in the comments, offering varying viewpoints and experiences and we all earned our parenting philosophy badges for the day. It turns out, none of it was necessary! Whether Kelly’s changed the locks isn’t important to Lola because she doesn’t want to be there. Anderson Cooper guest hosted Live with Kelly and Ryan on Tuesday and he asked Kelly about taking Lola to school. He asked if Kelly had actually gone with Lola to drop her off and Kelly said Lola couldn’t wait to get out of the car.
Meant to be! Kelly Ripa’s 18-year-old daughter, Lola, is thriving one month after starting her freshman year at New York University.
“She loves it,” the Live With Kelly and Ryan cohost, 49, said on the Tuesday, October 1, episode of the ABC show. “When she was a little girl, like, 3 years old, she used to play dorm room in her bedroom. First she played sleepaway camp, then she played dorm room. So this is, like, a girl who was meant to live away from us. She was born to live outside of the house!”
The Emmy winner went on to tell her guest cohost Anderson Cooper that she didn’t really “drop” Lola off. “She jumped out of a moving car and was like, ‘Bye, bye, bye,’” the New Jersey native explained.
I think I had a similar reaction when I went to college and now I feel a little bad *adds to list of things I need to apologize to my parents for*. But like Kelly said, I couldn’t wait to get to college and live a college life, it had nothing to do with my folks. But it does put her earlier discussion of not wanting Lola to come home in a humorous light. Like, Lola’s responding to all her parents texts with “New digs, who dis?” Don’t worry, Kelly, they all find a reason to come home sometime… only it usually involves $$$ or dirty laundry.
Since it was Kelly’s bday on Wednesday, Kelly posted a few Instagram stories of her husband and kids gifts to her, which all consisted of flowers, I guess. Her husband, Mark Consuelos, filled their home with gardenias, which looked beautiful, but I’d worry about the smell being overpowering in that quantity. But what was better than Kelly’s birthday IG stories was the post Mark put on his own IG for Kelly’s birthday. Mark, who I don’t know if I’ve ever admitted to y’all, I find absolutely gorgeous, posted a series of sweet pics of Kelly throughout the years. But it was his caption that tickled me the most:
Happy Birthday to my Fave..I’m really glad you were born.. Because let’s face it, if you weren’t , I would’ve been married 3 or 4 times by now. Which would’ve been really expensive, not to mention the super tense parent teacher conferences and all the awkward blended family holiday/vacations. Anyway, happy birthday sweetie.
Mmm, – Mark is hot, devoted and funny? Hey, if Lola’s room isn’t being used…
Photo credit: WENN Photos and Instagram
What do I need to do to have a Mark Consuelos in MY life?!
Like a fine wine that husband of hers,he seems to just get better with age.🍷
If I had that abusive mother with no boundaries or filter I would have too. Oh, wait, I had. My mom would share stories about me in front of her whole class when I was teenager. Not respecting somebody else’s private life is abuse and blurred boundaries. Ripa did it too many times. Every time I read about it, my skin crawls.
Yeah, I was going to say something similar. My parents had no boundaries and were emotionally abusive in a different way. They probably thought I was a brat for not calling home more often, but I lived years where I didn’t know what would get me in trouble. They were proud of my academic and extra curricular accomplishments, but made sure I knew what a burden it was for them. I couldn’t have told you why I hated to go home back then, but I sure can now. Was I a little passive aggressive back then, as they accused me of? Sure, but that was a two way street and I had zero power. As a parent now, I know that you have to swallow your pride with CHILDREN…often, if you want to raise children that love you, like you, and also aren’t psychopaths.
Couldn’t agree more! My Mom was an emotional mess and complete control freak. And still is…..
Going away to college was sweet FREEDOM.
Exactly, couldn’t wait to get away from all the mean-girling from mom.
Sounds like a club. Nothing like a narcissist as a parent.
Perhaps that’s why KR makes my skin crawl. It’s about her and will always be about her. Run Lola run!
Now Kelly has to find something else, and someone else, to talk about. I’d want to escape too!
I loved them during their AMC days, lol, nice to see they are still going strong.
My son, who’s also a freshman in college, is so happy to be out of the house and living the college life. I barely hear from him…but I’m happy he adjusted so quickly and smoothly so I won’t complain.
He was ready the first time we visited a campus, my husband’s alma mater, when he was about 10. I remember it so vividly. We were sitting on a little stone wall, watching students bustle around on a beautiful fall day. He said, “I want to go to school here.” I said something like how he could apply when the time came, blah blah blah. And he replied, “No I want to go here NOW.” It was cute. He ended up not going there, although it ended up being one of his top 3 choices.
What a sweet story @Esmom.I hope he’s enjoying his college experience.My daughter is a junior and we’re at the college visit stage I’m trying to not stress too much but…
Spicecake38, thanks, he is doing amazingly well. My older son, who’s a year older, has had it a bit tougher socially and academically but he’s doing ok.
Try not to stress too much, but I hear you. Sending our babies off can be scary. But I constantly remind myself that they’re where they need to be. And I’m keeping myself busy with a number of new activities so that the sadness of an empty house doesn’t creep in too often. In fact, I’m enjoying it a lot more than I would have imagined just a couple years ago.
Best to you and your girl.
I, too, was one of those kids who couldn’t wait to move out. Not because my parents or home life was bad in any way, but I was ready to solve my own problems and do my own things. I moved out literally the day after high school ended and except for a 2 month stint a few years ago while my husband and I were waiting for our new house to be done I haven’t been back. Some people are just more ready to be adults! My husband wants our kids to live with us when they go to college and I’m not sold on this idea. I want our kids to get out and figure out how to live on their own and enjoy those times. We will always be available for help and support and advice (and money, let’s be honest) but I want my kids to get out and fly!
I’m sure she’ll Still find a way to embarrass her daughter. Lola seems to be her favorite target and, if her experience ends up being anything like mine, leaving the house won’t totally make it stop. But leaving is such a great first step and will help!
I don’t blame her for not wanting to return home, if my mother publicly humiliated and body shamed me as often as Kelly does I wouldn’t even speak to her. I hope the dynamics are different than we think, for Lola’s sake, but it really comes off like Kelly is jealous, or something is just off there. I don’t hear her talk about her sons in the same degrading way she does with Lola, so who knows.
I loved moving away to college, I’ve always been independent and enjoyed being alone. I had a partial scholarship to the same college my high school friends were going to but I changed my mind last minute and decided to go a different route. I didn’t want college to feel like high school all over again, so I started fresh in place where I knew no one, it was awesome:)
I don’t watch Kelly’s show but she body shames her kid? Oh my gosh!
She bodyshamed her daughter???!!! On air???!! I don’t watch the show and since Ryan joined, have no inclination whatsoever. Can’t believe she did that.
She talked on air and or social media (can’t recall specifically,but it was covered here)about her daughter having alterations made to her prom dress and that it revealed too much of her umm…large/ample breasts.She looked gorgeous BTW.IIRC,it was sounding derogatory as if she(Kelly)was very insensitive because Lola can’t help the size of her breasts and that maybe Kelly being very slim was insulting or jealous of her daughter (or both).
I have always thought that having your kids prepared to go out into the bigger world and be independent is the job of a good parent. Being able to take care of yourself, socialize, and find your way to your own version of happiness is hard and is a true learning experience.
Good for all the young adults who are looking forward to new chapters.
I don’t watch Kelly so I have no idea how she over shares about her kids.
I think Kathy Lee Gifford did a ton of over sharing about her hubby/kids.
Hey, I am a Mom but I have my own interests free from my kids. I chat about that.
Alternate opinion. They seem to be a pretty tight family, Kelly and Mark come across as being involved and aware parents. So far, the kids are not in the news, getting arrested, 2 of the 3 are going to college vs getting pushed to being the next nepotism entertainer/model, etc. Their daughter gives it back at times on her IG. No, they are not perfect parents and inevitably the kids will have something that they will carry, we all have our childhood stuff. While no doubt Lola has her embarrassed moments, I also think if she was that continually upset Kelly wouldn’t do it and/or Mark would shut it down behind the scenes.
A colleague’s kids went to the same summer camp as the Consuelos kids for years and she says at camp family events, Mark would happily participate in whatever group sports/activities were planned. Kelly was always friendly, would remember kids and parents from years before, and always seemed careful not to come across as pushy or overbearing. They seemed to have good, fun relationships with one another and with their kids and the kids were respectful to other parents and got along well with the other kids. They’re doing something right.
My daughter and I are very tight and she couldn’t wait to leave home, either. She is 18 now and still, to her dismay, lviing at home, since she is attending a junior college locally for now. Some kids can fully love their families and homelife and still want to experience freeom and independence. They’re not all wired the same.
Mark always seemed really intense and controlling to me, so no thanks, you are welcome to him.
My kids are only coming home for the extended breaks. I hardly hear from them now. LOL
If I were Lola, I would have been ready to leave too. Kelly grates on my last nerve. She can take herself and her weird belly button and STFU.
For what it’s worth, my SIL is an actress and was on a show with Mark for a couple seasons and has only said nice things about him and Kelly (who she met once or twice at the premier and maybe an after-party)
Very cool.Now I want to know who your SIL is…
My 14 year old daughter informs me regularly that she can’t wait until she’s 18 so she can move out. It comes with the terrain.
My high school senior has already mentioned possibly living at home and commuting his first semester of college… not sure if that speaks well or poorly for my parenting skills!
It’s kind of hysterical to call going from Soho to the West Village as moving away from home – there is major security in knowing your parents are 10 min away. Which is totally fine, but let’s not pretend she shipped off to U of Michigan or something!