Michelle Obama Opens Up About “Nightmare” Of Keeping Daughters’ Partying Photos Out Of Tabloids

Parenthood is already one of the most complicated journeys one can take. But Michelle and Barack Obama’s experiences raising their children were nuanced even further due to their political commitments. From 2009 to 2017, while the 44th President of the United States was in office, their two daughters Malia and Sasha were becoming adolescents and experiencing life as teenagers. Michelle opened up about the “nightmare” it was to try and maintain normalcy in her daughters’ lives as much as she could.

“[It] was a lot of work and it got harder as they got older,” the Becoming author revealed during her April 29 appearance on SiriusXM’s Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa. She explained how she desired to let her girls do things that teens typically do, but the reality of knowing they would be photographed everywhere they went added levels of difficulty.

“They had to drive and they had to go to prom and they were on teams and they traveled to other schools and they had to do college searches, and they went to parties and they had drinks, and they tried out smoking and they did all the things,” Michelle explained. “And every weekend was a nightmare, because we had to work to make sure that them being regular teenagers didn’t wind up on Page Six.”

Another layer to the situation was the strict security measures the entire family adhered to, which made it difficult for casual outings such as play dates. “When your kids are under the security of the Secret Service, you almost have to work twice as hard to make their life normal,” Michelle continued. “Imagine setting up the first play date or the first time the kids get invited to a play date. The process of having my children at your house meant that an advanced team had to come and question and search your house and ask if you had drugs and guns.”

The former First Lady’s goal was to ensure her kids were able to “go about their lives” without centering those lives completely on their family’s unique circumstances at hand. “I’m trying to make this feel normal to them, because you don’t want them to start thinking, number one, they’re full of themselves, that any of this is about them and that their job is to go about their lives,” she said. “This world is not about you. This is just your dad’s job.”

Earlier this year, Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson launched their podcast, IMO. They’ve had a strong lineup of guests including Taraji P. Henson, Tracee Elliss Ross, Keke Palmer, Elaine Welteroth, and Issa Rae. Listeners have been given the inside scoop on topics like why Michelle skipped Trump’s inauguration, her marriage with Barack Obama, reality TV guilty pleasures, managing friendships, and much more. Check out a recent episode above.