{"id":1856,"date":"2024-11-07T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/hellomagazine\/?p=1856"},"modified":"2024-11-07T15:20:56","modified_gmt":"2024-11-07T15:20:56","slug":"growing-up-in-the-white-house-malia-and-sasha-obamas-incredible-upbringing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/hellomagazine\/2024\/11\/07\/growing-up-in-the-white-house-malia-and-sasha-obamas-incredible-upbringing\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing up in the White House: Malia and Sasha Obama&#8217;s incredible upbringing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;7984.6px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;has-dropcap&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Imagine having your first sleepover, prom, and graduation with the Secret Service in tow. For Malia and Sasha Obama, these were just parts of a unique and unforgettable childhood like no other, growing up in the White House.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>In 2008, Malia was only ten and Sasha was seven when they left Chicago\u2019s South Side for America\u2019s iconic Washington D.C. residence on the day their father Barack Obama was inaugurated as president. Before the big change he told <em>People<\/em> that the girls were \u201cnot looking forward to moving&#8221; or &#8220;the prospects of having to make new friends\u201d.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Their mum Michelle Obama even questioned: \u201cWhat on Earth am I doing to these babies?\u201d when she put her girls in a black SUV and sent them off with the Secret Service to school.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Now grown up, Malia, 26 and Sasha, 23, live a more <a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/Akm0x1ZUfQYKKapQ_eTi5BA\">private life<\/a> after <a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/Ao2Boa-TUT3KtHMBZhKy5tg\">spending eight years of their childhood<\/a> in the spotlight. While protective mum, former First Lady Michelle Obama, did her best to keep the girls&#8217; lives relatively \u2018normal\u2019 there were \u2014 understandably \u2014 some moments that stood out as being extraordinary<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>From the Secret Service chaperoning the girls on dates to having fun sliding down the White House bannisters\u2026what was life really like behind the big white gates?<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-h3-futura&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;Roboto Condensed|700|||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3>The Secret Service<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/GettyImages-83628324-1-scaled.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;US President Elect Barack Obama drops da&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#696969&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px|15px|true|false&#8221; border_width_left=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#d2ab57&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Malia and Sasha were protected by the Secret Service agents<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Far from the average school run, on the first day of attending elementary school in Washington D.C, Malia and Sasha were chauffeured in a black SUV with gun-toting Secret Service agents. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Michelle, 60, recounted during the White House United State of Women Summit how bad she felt that morning: \u201cIt still moves me to tears to think about the first day I put them in the car with their Secret Service agents to go to their first day of school. And I saw them leaving and I thought, what on Earth am I doing to these babies?\u2019\u2019 [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Even sleepovers would require a security operation. Michelle joked to Gayle King in a CBS interview: \u201cImagine having Malia and Sasha come to your house for a sleepover. It\u2019s like, &#8216;Hello. OK, we\u2019re going to need your Social Security number, we\u2019re going to need your date of birth. There are going to be men coming to sweep your house. If you have guns and drugs, just tell them yes because they are going to find them anyway. And, uh, thank you for having Malia and Sasha over. Oh, by the way, there is going to be a man with a gun sitting outside all night.\u2019\u2019\u2019[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>In Michelle\u2019s book, <em>Becoming<\/em>, she wrote about the awkwardness of the girls growing up with a constant security presence: &#8220;I mean, my kids had armed guards with them at all times, imagine trying to have your first kiss with a bunch of men (around)\u201d.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Appearing on <em>The Late Late Show<\/em>, Barack joked about his daughter\u2019s love lives being invaded by security. &#8220;They (Malia and Sasha) still have PTSD from guys talking into their wrist microphones and glasses as they&#8217;re trying to go to a music concert.\u2019\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Aside from the guards, other house rules included not opening windows or going outside unattended on the White House grounds and no-one was allowed to carry their own house keys.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-h3-futura&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;Roboto Condensed|700|||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3>Keeping life \u2018normal\u2019<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-05-at-13.50.53.png&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Screenshot 2024-11-05 at 13.50.53&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#696969&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px|15px|true|false&#8221; border_width_left=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#d2ab57&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]The girls still had to do house chores[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Aside from the tight security, the girls&#8217; lives were kept relatively normal through Barack and Michelle\u2019s protective parenting. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Mama Michelle was big on setting boundaries when they transitioned into their new Washington D.C. lifestyle. On<em> Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast<\/em>, she spoke of the task she faced: \u201cIt&#8217;s like, pluckin&#8217; these little girls out of our normal life on the South Side of Chicago and then, putting them in a historic mansion with butlers and maids, and florists, and gardeners, and Secret service, and then trying to make sure that they understood boundaries, understood responsibility.\u201d<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>She even put measures in place to make sure her daughters wouldn\u2019t escape house chores. On <em>ABC News<\/em> she talked about her first visit to the White House: \u201cThe first thing I said to some of the staff when I did my visit because, of course, they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, the girls, they\u2019re so great,\u2019 I said, you know, we\u2019re going to have to set up some boundaries because they\u2019re going to need to be able to make their beds and clean up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Michelle also made sure not to draw attention to the times their dad was taken away from the family due to his presidential duties. &#8220;I always tried to make sure that I wasn&#8217;t pouting in front of the kids when Barack wasn&#8217;t there,&#8221; she explained, adding: &#8220;If I had made a big deal out of it and said, &#8216;Oh my god, your dad&#8217;s not here again! Oh, he&#8217;s missing this&#8217; or &#8216;I just wish&#8230;&#8217; then that&#8217;s the signal to them, &#8216;Well this isn&#8217;t normal.\u2019\u2019\u2019[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>An extra helping hand was Michelle\u2019s mum <a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/AmyQppg1nTOiax1UsP0vk6w\">Marian Robinson<\/a> \u2014 who moved into the White House to help ensure the girls stayed grounded. Speaking on <em>The Pivot Podcast<\/em>, Barack praised the girls\u2019 late grandmother, who sadly passed away in June: \u201cShe was the most down-to-earth, Southside, straight up. If the kids misbehaved, she&#8217;d be like, &#8216;Y&#8217;all know you haven&#8217;t done anything, right? Your parents have. Don&#8217;t you guys start acting entitled.\u2019\u2019\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-05-at-13.54.16.png&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Screenshot 2024-11-05 at 13.54.16&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#696969&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px|15px|true|false&#8221; border_width_left=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#d2ab57&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Their late grandmother helped look after them in the White House[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Barack, 63, said that the girls and their routines made the White House feel less official and more family-orientated. &#8220;When you open a door and they&#8217;re in their pyjamas and they&#8217;re, you know, wrestling with you and asking you, you know, to read to them and stuff, you know it starts feeling like home pretty quick,\u2019\u2019 he told George Stephanopoulos from <em>ABC news<\/em>.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-h3-futura&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;Roboto Condensed|700|||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3>Barack coached Sasha\u2019s sports team<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=&#8221;fp-parallax&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/GettyImages-112854621-1-scaled.jpg&#8221; parallax=&#8221;on&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; height=&#8221;80vh&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||-8px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||true|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||4px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#696969&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px|15px|true|false&#8221; border_width_left=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#d2ab57&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Parents from the rival team complained about Obama coaching[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Whilst Barack was understandably a very busy man, he did have time to do \u2018normal\u2019 father-daughter stuff which gave him more <a href=\"https:\/\/apple.news\/AmCkRwAjSTCedztzSrNhIBw\">bonding time with his girls<\/a>.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-6px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>The dad coached Sasha\u2019s fourth-grade basketball team, with the help of personal aide Reggie Love. \u201cReggie and I took it upon ourselves to draw up some plays and volunteered to conduct a few informal Sunday afternoon practice sessions with the team,\u201d he wrote in his memoir. \u201cWe worked on the basics: dribbling, passing, making sure your shoelaces were tied before you ran onto the court.\u2019\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Ultimately, his position meant there were limitations to being a \u2018normal\u2019 dad. The former president had to eventually quit coaching Sasha\u2019s team: \u201cOf course, nothing about our lives was completely normal anymore, as I was reminded the following year when, in true Washington fashion, a few of the parents from a rival Sidwell team started complaining to the Vipers\u2019 coaches, and presumably the school, that Reggie and I weren\u2019t offering training sessions to their kids, too.\u2019\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Barack wrote about his aide joking that: \u201cThey must think being coached by you (Barack) is something they can put on a Harvard application.\u201d Ultimately he decided \u201cthat it would be simpler for all concerned if I went back to just being a fan\u201d.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-h3-futura&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;Roboto Condensed|700|||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3>The First Daughter\u2019s club<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=&#8221;1877,1874,1880&#8243; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; module_class=&#8221;fp-gallery&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_gallery][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#696969&#8243; min_height=&#8221;16.6px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-22px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px|15px|true|false&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; border_width_left=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#d2ab57&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<p>Barbara and Jenna Bush Hager taught the girls how to slide down the White House solarium banister<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>The White House had some fun secret spots contained within its walls \u2014 which Sasha and Malia learned about from the previous First Daughters. They bonded with President George W. Bush\u2019s girls Barbara and Jenna Bush Hager, who diligently showed them the ropes.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]In 2009, Malia and Sasha were personally welcomed to the White House by the Bush twins with a personal tour and letter. The letter contained advice for the young Obama girls, including: making sure they went on all the trips they could; tips on finding loyal friends and \u2014 of course \u2014 not missing out on the fun of sliding down the White House solarium bannister. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Barbara and Jenna penned another letter for the girls when they left the White House which was full of praise for how they conducted themselves: \u201cWe have watched you grow from girls to impressive young women with grace and ease.\u2019\u2019[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-h3-futura&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;Roboto Condensed|700|||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3>Public criticism of the girls caused a backlash<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-05-at-14.23.24.png&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Screenshot 2024-11-05 at 14.23.24&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#696969&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px|15px|true|false&#8221; border_width_left=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#d2ab57&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]The girls allegedly rolled their eyes during a ceremony [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Elizabeth Lauten, a Republican Communications Director faced backlash for publicly criticising Malia and Sasha\u2019s behaviour at a Thanksgiving ceremony in 2014. The incident and the intense public reaction to it highlighted sensitivity around public figures\u2019 children and the broader conversation on respecting their privacy.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>In a since-deleted post on Facebook, the Republican worker said the girls were dressed inappropriately and that they \u2018rolled\u2019 their eyes at their father during the ceremony.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Following intense public criticism, Elizabeth issued an apology for her \u201churtful statement\u201d, admitting that she had made a hasty judgement. The post had gone viral, sparking accusations of overstepping boundaries in commenting on the private lives of the young First Daughters. The controversy led Elizabeth to resign from her position a few days later.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>A White House spokesman Josh Earnest spoke on the situation at a press briefing: \u201cI think all of us \u2013 and I think when I say \u2018all of us\u2019 I mean me and all of the people in this room \u2013 have the occasion to speak publicly with some regularity, and I think there\u2019s a reason that when we do that we choose our words very carefully and we try to be mindful of how those words and messages will be received.\u201d<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-h3-futura&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_3_font=&#8221;Roboto Condensed|700|||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<h3>Saying their goodbyes<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row module_class=&#8221;fp-parallax&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2024\/11\/Screenshot-2024-11-05-at-14.33.07.png&#8221; parallax=&#8221;on&#8221; parallax_method=&#8221;off&#8221; height=&#8221;80vh&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px||-8px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px||true|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;31.8px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|-160px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||10px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;fp-caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|700|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#696969&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px|15px|true|false&#8221; border_width_left=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_left=&#8221;#d2ab57&#8243; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]Malia and Sasha hosted a pizza party on their final night in the White House[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>On their final night in the White House, the girls planned a special send-off to bid farewell to the place where they\u2019d grown up.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>\u201cThey had a sleepover because of course on Inauguration Day, because my girls are so normal, they\u2019re like, \u2018Well, eight girls are gonna be sleeping here because it\u2019s our last time, and we want pizza and we want nuggets.\u2019 And it\u2019s like, really?\u201d Michelle recalled at the American Institute of Architecture conference.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>At the talk, Michelle also opened up more about their final moments in the White House. &#8220;That moment of transition, right before the doors opened and we welcomed in the new family, our kids were leaving out the back door in tears, saying goodbye to people,&#8221; she said.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>Ahead of their exit, Michelle had told chat show host Ellen Degeneres how much they would miss the White House staff. \u201cThink about it: The girls have grown up in the White House. I mean, the staff that\u2019s there \u2013 we see them every day,\u201d she said. \u201cThese are people who have helped us raise our kids. They\u2019ve loved us. They\u2019ve taken care of us. The minute we leave, that\u2019s it.\u2019\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>The family will no doubt look back fondly on their time in America\u2019s most famous residence. But it by no means defines them. Reminiscing about their time as America\u2019s First Family, Michelle posted a throwback picture on Instagram with some very sweet words.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<p>\u201cHome has always been where our family is&#8230;It hasn\u2019t mattered whether we\u2019re lounging on a couch in Chicago\u2019s Hyde Park or, as we are here, in the White House,\u201d she wrote. \u201cWe did our best to make the White House a comfortable place where our girls could climb trees and host slumber parties, where we\u2019d have dinner together as a family, and where we tried to live by the values our parents instilled in us.\u2019\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=&#8221;#111111&#8243; divider_position=&#8221;center&#8221; divider_weight=&#8221;1px&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.20.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||5px||false|false&#8221; locked=&#8221;off&#8221; 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