‘Today’s Dylan Dreyer Shares How Her Parenting Style Differs From Her Upbringing

When it comes to raising her three sons, Dylan Dreyer is doing things differently than her parents.

The Today host chatted about all things parenting with NBC News’ Vicky Nguyen on the Thursday, April 16, episode of her podcast, The Parent Chat. During the discussion, Dreyer opened up about the differences between her and her mother and father’s parenting styles.

“My parents did something right. But then, also, if I were to describe my parents, it’s like, it wasn’t an overly loving house,” she shared. “I wouldn’t say my parents got on the floor and played with me. Most of the time, it was us, just as kids, running around in the backyard. My mom would ring a bell for dinner, and it was time to come inside. But there was always dinner on the table. Even when my parents kind of separated, we were all still together, and we would all eat dinner together. But you respected your parents.”

Dreyer admitted she was a bit of a goody two-shoes growing up, noting that she once asked her mom if she could sneak out of the house with her friends. “I called my mom, and I said, ‘Mom, everybody’s sneaking out of the house at 11. Can I go?’ And she’s like, ‘I’d really rather you not,'” she quipped. “I’m like, ‘But mom, but everybody’s doing it.’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ So, I asked permission to sneak out of the house. And she said no, and I listened. I listened, because I knew I was going to get in trouble.”

Dreyer also recalled her father’s reaction to her staying out late one night. “I remember breakfast with my dad the next morning. He didn’t say a word to me, except, ‘A little late last night.’ And that’s all he had to say,” she stated. “That one morning, he wasn’t talking to me. So, that was all the punishment I needed, because I’m like, ‘I failed him. I disappointed him.’ So, yes, it wasn’t a lot of talking. It wasn’t a lot of hugs. It wasn’t a lot of open love, but it was there, and I love that about them.”

In comparison, Dreyer said she’s “more huggy” with her kids than her parents were with her. “I’m definitely more open about our feelings and all of that kind of stuff,” she said.

Dreyer shares her three sons — Calvin, Oliver, and Rusty — with her estranged husband, Brian Fichera. Dreyer announced via Instagram in July 2025 that the pair had separated a few months prior. Last month, People confirmed that Dreyer had officially filed for divorce on March 10.

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On the podcast, Dreyer asked Nguyen about her own upbringing. Nguyen and her family fled Vietnam when she was a baby and moved to the U.S. when she was 2.

“My parents were sort of doing the best they could, adjusting to a brand-new country and a place where people do things very, very differently,” she told Dreyer. “But then, they also had their own upbringing, which was very strict, super authoritarian, like, top down. You don’t question your parents. What they say goes. They don’t need to give you a reason. There is no consideration for mental health, and you deal with it and you figure it out.”

Nguyen noted that it’s strange to see her parents be more affectionate with her three daughters — Emerson, Odessa, and Renley — whom she shares with her husband, Brian.

Dylan Dreyer’s sons Calvin, Oliver, and Rusty (NBC)

“Now, seeing them as grandparents, and the ‘I love yous’ and the ‘I’m proud of yous’ that they say to my kids, it’s nuts. I’m like, ‘Who are these people? Where did you come from?'” she joked. “But I have to appreciate that they evolved as grandparents, you know? And so, I am grateful for that. But I’m just like you. I talk way more openly with my kids. I’m very affectionate with them. The ‘I love yous’ are flowing left and right. But I do try to find, also, some ways to manufacture hardship for them, because it’s not built into their lives.”

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