Michelle Obama is embracing a new side of parenting. In the first episode of her new “The Light Podcast,” Michelle invited Hoda Kobt, with the two talking about some of the perks of being in their 50s. She also talked about parenting, and how she was happy to be on “the other side of” it.
In their chat, Michelle talked about parenting and how it changes as she and her kids grow up. "I'm moving from mom-in-chief to advisor-in-chief," she said. "That's a lovely thing — to be able to watch my girls fly and have the relief that 'Okay, I think I didn't mess them up.'"
Michelle also talked about how important it is for parents to communicate properly with their kids, resisting the urge to criticize and correct them. She shared an example with her daughter Malia. “She walks in, maybe the second time I saw her this morning, and I was like, ‘You’re wrinkly, you’re gonna do something about this,’ and she was like, ‘Yeah, Mom.’”
“And then I thought, ‘I did it.’ I greeted her with [feedback], instead of what I felt, which is, ‘Sit on my lap, give me a kiss.’ I’m fixing things. I’m pointing out, ‘Oh my god, your hair is not right here.’”
Michelle says that it’s important to extend this advice to how we communicate with young people, making it clear that that kind of behavior can leave “a mark.”
“Whether it’s road rage or some kids standing on the corner you don’t know or someone who is in your business establishment making too much noise, we have to remember they are still young people,” she says. “We are still the models of showing them the best parts of themselves.”
Michelle and Barack Obama have two kids, Sasha and Malia, who grew up on the White House. Nowadays the two are ling together in California.
