Earlier this week, a select group of online reporters were given the opportunity to sit down with First Lady Michelle Obama in the Old Family Dining Room in the East Wing of White House. Among those in attendance was iVillage’s Kelly Wallace, who spoke with Mrs. Obama about a wide range of topics, including her Let’s Move campaign against childhood obesity and creating a normal environment for her daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10, despite residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. BlackEnterprise.com pulled a few parenting nuggets of wisdom from Michelle on keeping your kids grounded. —Anslem Samuel
Earlier this week, a select group of online reporters were given the opportunity to sit down with First Lady Michelle Obama in the Old Family Dining Room in the East Wing of White House. Among those in attendance was iVillage’s Kelly Wallace, who spoke with Mrs. Obama about a wide range of topics, including her Let’s Move campaign against childhood obesity and creating a normal environment for her daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10, despite residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. BlackEnterprise.com pulled a few parenting nuggets of wisdom from Michelle on keeping your kids grounded. —Anslem Samuelmore
CHECK INS ARE IMPORTANT
While most people would be secure in the fact that secret service agents are keeping a watchful eye on their kids, Michelle Obama, like any other mom, likes to know if her children are on their best behavior whenever they’re away from home. The First Lady confessed to regularly calling other parents and asking, "How do the girls seem?" even when the response is positive she’s diligent about things staying that way: "Okay, good, just tell me if you see anything—just let me know."
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CHORES MATTER
Despite being two of the country’s most known tweens, Malia and Sasha are not exempt from the same household duties as their non-famous peers. "The first thing is establishing rules among the staff that they're not little princesses," said Mrs. Obama. "[Malia and Sasha] have to make their beds, they have to clean up their rooms… Sasha has started doing the laundry, Malia was supposed to be doing it but [Sasha] is really into laundry. My mom still does her own laundry."
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FORGET ABOUT DADDY’S JOB
A big part of maintaining a sense of normalcy for the girls is not making a big deal about their father’s day job. During designated family time, Michelle makes a point to let her daughters feel like their sitting down with Daddy and not the President of the United States. "It's sitting down at the dinner table and having Barack's day be really the last thing anyone really cares about," she said. "So he's sort of the throw-on piece. It's like, 'Oh, yeah, Daddy, and what did you do today?’"
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REALITY OVER REALITY TV
While television plays a big role in a lot of American households, the Obamas try to keep boob tube consumption to a minimum. In fact, during the week the First Daughters are not allowed to watch TV or be in the computer unless it’s related to school, with limited time allotted for weekend viewing. "Barack really thinks some of the Kardashians—when they watch that stuff —he doesn't like that as much, but I sort of feel like if we're talking about it, and I'm more concerned with how they take it in," said Mrs. Obama. “What did you learn when you watched that? And if they're learning the right lessons, like, that was crazy, then I'm like, okay."
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HOLIDAYS SHOULD BE SWEET
When your mother is the woman behind the national fight against childhood obesity, the chances of having sweets on the regular are slim to none. Surprisingly, Mrs. Obama lets her guard down when it comes to special occasions. "I tell this to my girls all the time, that when it's time for the holidays and the fun stuff and the birthday party, that you don't have to worry about it because you're doing what you're supposed to do every single day,†she said. But the girls understand that the candy ban only gets lifted for a limited time. "I confiscate [their Halloween bags after a day or two], because it's like, you just don't need to have this in your room; it's not good. The temptation is too great."
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LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Michelle Obama’s biggest parenting tip is the most simple: she leads by example. "I want my girls to see the model of a mother taking care of herself, because, quite frankly, my mother didn't do that,†she confessed. “My mother was the traditional stay-at-home mom who never went to the hairdresser... and the thought of spending a dime on herself was just like, 'Oh, my goodness, why would I want to do that?'" In contrast, the First Lady lets her daughters see her at her best so they too can aspire to new heights.
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