Michelle Obama on the importance of not treating her girls too preciously

The former first lady spoke about being a mother at a recent event for the Obama Foundation in Chicago.

Malia and Sasha Obama were often praised by their parents and others for growing up to become “independent, well-meaning, kind, compassionate people” despite growing up in front of the world’s gaze. Michelle Obama has been speaking about how she and husband Barack decided to help their girls navigate through their eight years in the White House.

“We could’ve spent eight years feeling sorry for them that they were living in a bubble that every misstep for them would be on YouTube, that their privacy, they didn’t have access to their father in a way,” Michelle told the crowd at the summit. “We could’ve felt bad for them, and there would’ve been a truth there. But our view was this is their life, and we can’t apologise for the life they have because a whole lot of it is good.”

The mum-of-two went on to say that “sometimes we treat our children too preciously” but that she made a conscious effort to do that.

“I can’t cherish you to death. We have to raise our children to be the adults that we want them to be, and that starts young. “You can’t be so afraid that life will break them that you don’t prepare them for life. “Sometimes our fear keeps us from pushing our kids out into the cold cruel world. And then they’re not ready and we wonder why.”