Michelle Obama's Candid Talk on Parenting in the White House
Michelle Obama Spills Tea on Her Family's White House Drama: "You're Screwed" If You Don't Make Friends as a Parent!
In the latest juicy episode of her IMO podcast, Michelle Obama got real about the challenges she faced raising two successful young women in the public eye. The former First Lady dished about the tough parenting conversations she had with her husband Barack Obama, and let's just say it was a wild ride!
Michelle, 61, opened up to guest Julia Louis-Dreyfus about how she navigated the complexities of making and maintaining friendships as an adult - all while living in the fishbowl that is the White House. And boy, did she have some choice words for her husband Barack, 63.
According to Michelle, soon after Barack was elected President in 2009, she sat him down for a stern chat about his role as a parent. "It was like, 'no, you got to go to parent-teacher conference' - and he wanted to go!" Michelle recalled, laughing. "You have to get the school normalized to you being the type of engaged parent that you were before election night."
Michelle emphasized that even though Barack wasn't required to attend parent-teacher conferences, she expected him to be there for their daughters Malia and Sasha. After all, she wanted to maintain a sense of normalcy in their lives despite their new surroundings.
But Michelle's chat with Barack was just the tip of the iceberg. She also dished about how she and her husband approached parenting their daughters during their time at the White House. And let's just say it wasn't always smooth sailing!
As Michelle revealed, she and Barack had differing opinions on using the Ferber Method to sleep-train their girls. "Barack was in favor of using it, but I was against it," Michelle admitted. The couple's disagreement was a big deal, considering how much they value communication and teamwork as parents.
Michelle also opened up about how her daughters started to "push away" from her and Barack as teenagers. "Our daughters are 26 and 23, they're young adult women," she said. "But they definitely went through a period in their teen years... it was the 'push away'."
According to Michelle, this is a common experience for celebrity kids who want to distinguish themselves from their famous parents. And as someone who's been there, done that, and got the t-shirt, Michelle knows firsthand what it takes to raise confident, self-assured young women in the public eye.
In the end, Michelle's advice to fellow parents was simple yet sage: "You're screwed" if you don't make an effort to connect with your community and form meaningful relationships as a parent. And judging by her own experiences, it's clear that she practices what she preaches!
Sources: TheScholarlyNote.com, Sibling Revelry podcast