Raising kids is never a casual undertaking, but imagine doing that while the world watches — and while the Secret Service does, as well. That was the reality for Michelle Obama.
During a Tuesday appearance on the podcast “Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa,” the former first lady opened up about the emotional and logistical gymnastics of raising daughters in the public eye. She admitted that it was “a lot of work,” according to E! News.
When Barack Obama took office in 2009, Sasha was 7 and Malia was 10. During that time, Michelle Obama said, she faced challenges of giving their children aspects of a normal life while also maintaining their safety.
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“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 Obama said, according to E! News.
She confessed that once the teenage years rolled in, “every weekend was a nightmare,” driven by the panic that any misstep could end up on PageSix.
When her children were younger, Michelle Obama said, she took meticulous care so the children could do everyday things.
“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 Obama said, per E! News. “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.”
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In a 2019 interview, she recalled that even something as seemingly innocent as a sleepover involved high-level logistics.
“Imagine having Malia and Sasha come to your house for a sleepover,” Obama said, via CBS News. “It’s like, ’Hello. OK, we’re going to need your Social Security number, we’re going to need your date of birth.”
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