Former first lady Michelle Obama said she does not miss having her daughters at home, repeatedly emphasizing that she prefers her life now that they are adults and independent.
Obama made the comments Wednesday on her “IMO” podcast while speaking with comedian Jon Stewart and brother Craig Robinson about becoming an empty nester. Stewart was discussing the experience of having his children grow up and leave home when he described missing the “energy and excitement” of having his kids around.
“I don’t miss them. I don’t,” Obama responded. “I love them. I’m gonna see them tonight for dinner. I love them.”
“Barack cried when they went to college. I was like, ‘Bye, little — goodbye,’” she said. She reasoned that she does not miss having children at home because, “Now Friday nights aren’t wrecked with terror and fear about ‘Where are you? Where are you?’”
“You know I love their emancipation and growth,” she said to justify the seemingly callous statements.
Stewart then rebutted, asking whether she missed the role of being a parent, which he said he enjoyed, describing it as a “job” that gave his life “meaning” and “pattern.”
“I’m good,” Obama replied to Stewart. Craig Robinson interjected that his sister was simply “different,” and after some cross-talk about schedules, Obama added, “I love my schedule. I have a great schedule and it’s all mine.”
She then suggested that fathers may have a different experience of parenting because they miss portions of the work of raising children. “But I think fathers can be that way because you weren’t there from six to nine, and you missed a lot of it,” Obama said. “I mean, I’ve had so much quality time with my children,” Obama said.
Malia and Sasha Obama were 10 and 7 years old, respectively, when their father, Barack Obama, was elected president in 2008. They lived in the White House throughout his two terms before leaving for college.
Obama has previously spoken about deliberately prioritizing her daughters’ lives during her husband’s presidency and trying to provide them with as normal a childhood as possible.
Both daughters are now adults and have largely maintained private lives outside of their parents’ political spotlight.
Obama’s comments come as she continues hosting “IMO,” a video podcast with her brother, Craig Robinson. The show, whose name is short for “in my opinion,” features the siblings discussing their experiences and offering advice alongside celebrity guests.
Despite the frosty answers in her latest episode, the former first lady has previously spoken positively about her daughters as adults, describing them as close and saying she was proud of the women they had become.
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