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Sasha and Malia Obama spent their formative years in the White House, then were thrust into the exclusive club of former presidents’ kids during their experimental, young adult years. The sisters have had the public’s watchful, judgmental eye looming over them for the majority of their lives — and that plight scared their mother, Michelle Obama.
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During an interview on Kylie Kelce’s podcast, Mrs. Obama revealed the fear she had for her daughters during the presidency of her husband, Barack Obama. “I wanted to give my girls enough rope to live and be normal teenagers, but I was also worrying about them turning up on Page Six because they were doing what normal kids would do,” she said during an appearance on the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast. Although Mrs. Obama was happy when she and her family departed 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, that didn’t fix the invasion of privacy her girls faced. “They still are dealing with paparazzi and being who they are and trying to carve out their own identity, but they [got] a lot of practice in those years in the White House,” continued the former first lady.
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Michelle also spoke about her daughters’ proximity to fame in 2017. During a panel with author Roxane Gay, the mother-of-two described fame as a “monster” when speaking about how her daughter, Malia Obama, had been adjusting to all the attention on her during her freshman year at Harvard University. “Do I know you?” and “Can I get a picture with you?” were questions she repeatedly fielded, noted People. Fortunately, despite their unusual upbringings, Michelle is proud of how her daughters have turned out.
Michelle Obama was intentional in her parenting of Malia and Sasha
Malia and Sasha Obama have been shrouded by rumors during their time in the public eye. Still, the college grads and young professionals have definitely gotten the hang of adulthood — and that’s probably because of their mother, Michelle Obama, who put ample thought and time into preparing them for the real world. “They had to learn how to balance the unwanted attention, but do it politely,” she shared during an episode of Melinda Gates’ podcast. “To build their own lives in the spotlight and not be eaten up by it.” She continued, “But I was raising them thinking, ‘You’re not going to live here and with me forever. So I’ve got to hand you your life soon and let you manage it.'”
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Although Malia and Sasha are several years past their teenage years and finally in charge of their own destinies, Michelle is still putting her children first — particularly when it comes to her own political dealings. For the people hoping that Michelle will run for public office — especially the presidency — the answer remains no, and probably will forever, given her reasoning. “Not only am I not interested in politics in that way, but the thought of putting my girls back into that spotlight when they are just now establishing themselves — we’ve done enough,” she shared during Kylie Kelce’s interview.
Ah. The power of a mother’s love.
