Michelle Obama reveals why husband Barack 'struggled' to parent youngest daughter


Michelle and Barack Obama share two daughters, Malia and Sasha, and have been open about their parenting style on the IMO podcast


Michelle and Barack Obama look serious
Maria Sarabi
Maria SarabiJunior Writer
August 22, 2025
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Michelle Obama has shared an insight into her husband Barack Obama's relationship with his two daughters – Malia, 27, and Sasha, 24. The former first lady admitted that one of her daughters was more "difficult" to raise. 

During the latest episode of IMO, the podcast she hosts with her brother, Craig Robinson, Michelle discussed the dynamics between siblings and parents with her guests, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade. 

Malia, Michele, Sasha and Barack Obama pose for a family photo on vacation, shared on Instagram© Instagram
Malia, Michele, Sasha and Barack Obama

Michelle recalled raising her children in the White House between 2009 and 2017. "I'd say this to Barack when it comes to [our] oldest Malia, she is going to figure out who you are and what you like and discuss it," she said.

"When Malia was a teenager, it wasn't that she was going out any less or doing anything differently [but] she would tell me 'I'm going out this weekend, but I'm going to go in and give dad like 15 minutes.'"

US President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha walk to board Air Force One at Cape Cod Air Force Station in 2016© AFP via Getty Images
Barack found it difficult to raise his daughter

Michelle continued: "She'd go into the treaty room and go, 'Tell me about Syria?'

"Then she'd be like 'Ok, we'll, I'm gone.'"

"Barack would come out of the treaty room going, 'I just had an amazing conversation with Malia,'' and I'm like 'Ok,'" recounted Michelle.

However, the 61-year-old admitted that her youngest daughter, Sasha, was more "like a cat" and shared a different relationship with her father. "She's like, 'Don't touch me, don't pet me, I'm not pleasing you, you come to me,'" she shared.

U.S. President Barack Obama delivers remarks with his daughters Sasha (L) and Malia during the annual turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House  November 25, 2015 in Washington, DC. In a tradition dating back to 1947, the president pardons a turkey, sparing the tom -- and his alternate -- from becoming a Thanksgiving Day feast. This year, Americans were asked to choose which of two turkeys would be pardoned and to cast their votes on Twitter.© Getty Images
Barack with his daughters

"Barack's like, well, 'She's difficult,' and I was like 'No, the first one was a pleaser, right?'"

Michelle explained that her daughters still have the same "temperament". 

Michelle and Barack's parenting style

This isn't the first time Michelle has opened up about her parenting techniques. Back in July,  Barack discussed how his parenting style would have been different if he were to raise boys. 

"I think we did a pretty good job of raising our girls, but I've said often that I think I would have had more difficulty raising a son," he shared on the podcast.

Michelle Barack Obama© Instagram
The couple have been open about their parenting style

"I think I might've been more judgmental, harder, and I would've tried to – I'd like to think I would have been more self-aware enough to combat that, but I just think father-son relationships, for me, particularly if I don't have a dad around to show it to me, might've been more difficult," he continued.

Michelle agreed with her husband before he went on to discuss the difficulties of parenting boys in the current political climate. "If you're not thinking about what's happening to boys and how are they being raised, then that can actually hurt women," he added.

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