Michelle Obama has sparked a lively debate among parents after making a surprisingly candid confession about life as an empty nester.
The former First Lady, 62, shares daughters Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25, with husband Barack Obama, but revealed that she has embraced the freedom that has come with both young women leaving the family home.
Speaking on the August 26 episode of her podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Michelle was discussing parenting with her brother and co-host Craig Robinson and their guest, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart, when the conversation turned to children growing up and flying the nest.
When Jon spoke about missing the energy that children bring to a home, Michelle laughingly admitted: “I don’t miss ’em.”
“I don’t, I love them, I’m going to see them tonight for dinner,” she quickly clarified, before revealing that Barack’s response to their daughters leaving for college had been considerably more emotional.
“Barack cried when they went to college and I was like, ‘Bye…'” she joked.
Michelle explained that after years of worrying about her daughters and organising life around their schedules, she has enjoyed watching them become independent adults.
“Now, Friday nights aren’t wracked with terror and fear about, ‘Where are you, where are you?'” she said, adding that she has loved seeing Malia and Sasha’s “growth” following their “emancipation”.
The bestselling author also stressed that her enthusiasm for this new phase didn’t mean she was any less close to her children.
“I’ve had so much quality time with my children, so much, I know them inside and out,” she said.
© Getty ImagesMichelle has previously spoken proudly about Malia and Sasha’s close relationship and their ability to carve out relatively normal adult lives after spending some of their childhood in the White House. Malia has gone on to pursue filmmaking, while Sasha graduated from the University of Southern California in 2023.
However, Michelle’s light-hearted admission quickly sparked discussion online, with some parents admitting they couldn’t relate to her response.
Former The View co-host Meghan McCain was among those weighing in, writing on X that she was “obsessed” with her own children and expected to struggle when they eventually left home.
© Getty ImagesOther parents echoed the sentiment, saying they continued to miss and worry about their children long after they reached adulthood.
But plenty of people also came to Michelle’s defence, arguing that enjoying a child’s independence doesn’t mean loving them any less. Some praised her comments as a refreshingly honest take on motherhood, with the discussion highlighting just how differently parents can experience the empty-nest years.
Michelle and Barack, 65, have been married since 1992 and recently appeared alongside both daughters at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.
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