Travis Kelce's mother Donna shares no-nonsense advice on raising high achievers like her sons

On Wednesday's episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Donna Kelce joined her sons, Travis and Jason, to talk about parenting, discipline and childhood decisions. As the mother of two NFL stars, she offered a grounded perspective on raising driven children without excessive pressure.

The conversation touched on both her parenting style and understanding of how her ex-husband Ed Kelce handled discipline when their sons were young. Donna began by crediting her sons for driving their own interests growing up.

"You were the ones that drove it, wasn't us. You drove it. You said what you liked, what you wanted to do. If you wanted to be in a play, you were in a play. If you wanted to do swim cadets, you did swim cadets. You have, you know, it's like, we just went along for the ride,” she stated. (19:47)

“Parents should stay out of it. They shouldn't push their kids into things they don't want to do. They're going to have a wonderful childhood. If they love what they do, they're going to get good at it. So that's as simple as that.”

The conversation then shifted to lighter moments from the Kelce household. A listener’s voicemail prompted a humorous exchange involving both parents. The caller asked for advice on dealing with her young daughter, who claimed in public that she was "stolen" by her own mother.

Travis asked Donna to predict who, between him and Jason, would’ve pulled a similar stunt as a child. Without hesitation, Donna named Travis.

The Chiefs' tight end then followed up by asking what their father, Ed Kelce, would’ve said in such a situation. Donna responded,

"He would say, ‘F---,’ you know, like, ‘Knock it off,’ and he would say, ‘I’ll give you something to cry about.’”

Donna and Ed Kelce were married for 25 years before divorcing after both sons completed college. The Kelce brothers were raised in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, and both played college football at the University of Cincinnati.

Donna Kelce reflects on Jason and Travis’ dating past

Donna briefly addressed her sons’ dating histories. When asked if she knew any of Jason or Travis’ former partners, Donna said she had little exposure to their relationships during their younger years. She mentioned that Jason didn’t bring many women home, while she’d only met one or two of Travis’s previous partners.

The discussion also touched on the brothers' time at Cincinnati, with Donna noting that she was unaware of their dating lives during college. Jason attributed this to his lack of social success at the time.

He also acknowledged that Travis's current relationship feels noticeably different. He pointed out that his brother’s early behavior and communication revealed a deeper level of connection than in the past.