Now that both Sasha and Malia have flown the coop to pursue college educations and real-life experiences, their mother, Michelle Obama, says catching up with the duo is as tricky as timing when to jump in a game of double Dutch.
But just because it may be a challenge for the former first lady and former President Barack Obama to get a word in does not mean things aren’t exactly how the parents wanted them to be.
“I always have wanted them to start practicing the power of their voices very early on,” Michelle explained while speaking with “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts.
“If you sit around the dinner table, me and Barack, we can’t get a word in edgewise, and we like it like that. We want to hear their thoughts and their opinions. That’s where it begins,” she added.
Malia, 22, is currently attending Harvard University, but just landed a spot on “Atlanta” star Donald Glover’s writing team as he gears up to produce content for Amazon. Sasha, 19, is pursuing her collegiate education at the University of Michigan. Michelle says the day she and Barack became empty nesters was bitter sweet.
“Time just goes so fast. But like so many experiences in the last 10 years, we wanted to make it feel as normal as possible, given our family’s circumstances,” Michelle shared with TODAY in 2019.
While the entire family’s every move was under a magnifying glass during Barack’s two terms in the White House, both daughters have made a point to live as normal a life as possible. In particular Sasha has sparked buzz on social media when videos of her rapping to City Girls songs began to circulate.
Those forgetting that Sasha is no longer the perfectly poised child running through the White House criticized her for living her life, but they were quickly shut down by others on social.
“Only thing I hate about these videos is that anytime the Obama kids do something by default they get all kinds of scrutiny.”
Regardless of what society thinks of her daughters, or the younger generation, Michelle says she is still full of hope for the future.
“They are not jaded yet. They are not beaten down by what they’re supposed to be. They are still wide open.”
