Michelle Obama isn’t sugarcoating how she feels about her daughters moving out, and honestly, she sounds pretty content about it. During a recent episode of her IMO podcast with brother Craig Robinson and guest Jon Stewart, Michelle Obama admitted she doesn’t miss having Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25, living at home anymore.
“I don’t miss ’em,” she said with a laugh, adding that she was actually planning to see both daughters that same evening for dinner. According to Complex, Michelle also revealed that her husband of 34 years, Barack Obama, had a much harder time letting go emotionally, admitting he “cried” when the girls left for college while she jokingly sent them off with a casual “Bye!”
For the former first lady, the empty nest years have brought more than just extra space in the house. She explained that Friday nights used to come with real anxiety over her daughters’ whereabouts, something she no longer has to worry about. “Now Friday nights aren’t wrecked with terror and fear about, ‘Where are you?’” she said. “I love their emancipation and growth.”
When Stewart asked whether she missed the actual “job” of hands-on parenting, Michelle didn’t hesitate. “I’m good,” she said simply. She went on to explain that her schedule now belongs entirely to her, something she’s clearly enjoying. “I love my schedule,” she said. “I have a great schedule, and it’s all mine.”
Michelle Obama Reveals Why She’s Not Sad Her Daughters Are Living Life
According to E! News, Michelle offered some insight into why she and Barack may have reacted so differently to their daughters leaving home. She pointed out that fathers often miss out on a lot of the day-to-day parenting responsibilities that mothers typically handle.
“I think fathers can be that way because you weren’t there from 6:00 to 9:00 at night; you missed a lot of it,” she said. “I’ve had so much quality time with my children, so much. I know them inside and out.”
That perspective lines up with the role Michelle has long described herself as holding throughout her daughters’ upbringing, often referring to herself as “Mom-in-Chief” during their years in the White House. Despite the unconventional environment her daughters grew up in, she’s expressed nothing but pride in how they’ve turned out. During a speech at the opening of Barack’s presidential center back in June, she told Malia and Sasha directly, “You both have grown into such brilliant and beautiful young women, making your way out there in the world.”
Malia graduated from Harvard University in 2021 with a degree in visual and environmental studies, while Sasha earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Southern California in 2023, after briefly attending the University of Michigan before transferring. Michelle has also been candid in the past about the different parenting challenges each daughter presented, previously sharing that Barack found Sasha “difficult” to raise, while Malia, as the oldest, leaned more toward being a “pleaser.”
With both daughters now firmly established in their own adult lives, Michelle Obama’s comments make it clear she’s not looking back with any regret, just gratitude for the years she had with them and excitement for the freedom this new chapter brings.
