Michelle Obama Reveals Why Sasha and Malia Had Different Relationships With Barack

THE RUNDOWN

• On the most recent episode of her podcast, IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama opened up about how her daughters, Malia and Sasha, had different relationships with their father growing up.
• She spoke about the contrast between Malia’s eagerness and Sasha’s more independent nature.
• Michelle emphasized the importance of adapting parenting styles to each child’s personality, saying, “You have to be a chameleon.”

Michelle Obama revealed that Barack had a different experience parenting each of their daughters.

During a recent conversation with Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union on the latest episode of her and Craig Robinson’s podcast, the former first lady opened up about how Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24, related differently to their father growing up.

She explained that Malia was naturally more inquisitive. “I’d say this to Barack, when it comes to, you know, [our] oldest, Malia, she is going to figure out who you are, what do you like, and let’s discuss it,” she said.

She recalled that even in her adolescence, Malia made time for thoughtful conversations with her father. “When Malia was a teenager, it wasn’t that she was going out any less or doing anything differently,” Michelle said. “She would tell me, ‘I’m going out this weekend, but I’m going to go in and give dad like 15 minutes.’”

Those check-ins weren’t just small talk. “She’d go into the Treaty Room and be like, ‘Tell me about Syria,’” Michelle continued. “Barack would come out and be like, ‘I just had an amazing conversation with Malia.’”

Michelle noted that Sasha had a different approach. “Sasha is like a cat. She’s like, ‘Don’t touch me, don’t pet me. I’m not pleasing you. You come to me.’”

Michelle emphasized that parents need to be flexible, saying you “have to be a chameleon. Some people parent to one child, or one personality child, but then you have three.”

The conversation echoed themes Michelle has touched on before, especially when it comes to giving her daughters the space to find their own way. “It’s very important for my kids to feel like they’ve earned what they are getting in the world,” she said during a June appearance on Sibling Revelry with Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson. “They want to be their own people.”