Michelle Obama Says She Doesn’t ‘Miss’ Her Daughters After They Moved Out
Former First Lady Michelle Obama is sharing her thoughts on life after her two daughters have left the nest.
“I don’t miss ‘em,” Obama, 60, joked during the Wednesday, August 26, episode of her “IMO” podcast, after guest Jon Stewart inquired about her experience with daughters Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25, going off to college. “I don’t; I love them. I’m actually seeing them tonight for dinner.”
She elaborated, “You know, Barack [Obama] cried when they went to college. I was like, ‘Bye little … Goodbye.’ Now, my Fridays are no longer filled with anxiety and panic about, ‘Where are you?’”
Michelle expressed how much she has cherished her daughters’ “emancipation and growth” since departing from their childhood home. When Stewart, 63, asked if the Becoming author missed the routine of raising children, she firmly shook her head in disagreement.
“I’m doing great; just look at the meaning I’ve found,” Michelle quipped, gesturing to her podcast studio and her life after raising young and teenage kids. “I have a fantastic routine; I love my schedule, and it’s all mine.”
Nevertheless, Michelle understands why Stewart and her brother, podcast cohost Craig Robinson, might feel nostalgic about the younger years of their children.
“I believe fathers often feel that way because they weren’t around from 6:00 to 9:00 PM, so they missed out on quite a bit,” she explained. “I mean, I’ve had so much quality time with my children—so much; I know them inside and out.”
Malia and Sasha stood by Michelle and former Senator Barack during his presidential campaign. (Barack, 65, was in office from 2009 to 2017.)
While Barack was focusing on his political career, Michelle often managed their kids’ daily activities.
“They were probably 7 and 3 at that time, and Barack was traveling, so I was home trying to get the girls settled for bed,” the former attorney shared on a December 2025 episode of her podcast. “They were wonderful kids, but this particular night, they were just being a bit too lively.”
According to Michelle, neither of her daughters would cooperate when she asked them to get ready for bedtime that evening.
“I was in my frustrated mommy phase,” she reflected. “I said, ‘Well, that’s it. No one listens to me. I’m done with parenting. You all seem to have this figured out, so go ahead.’”
Malia, then 7, quickly changed her tune and insisted that she didn’t “know what [she] could do without” her mom.
“I’m thinking, ‘Yes, this is what I wanted. I wanted her to realize that she needed me,’” Michelle added. “Meanwhile, Sasha, my 3-year-old, was on the stairs observing all this. She took her blankie and headed back upstairs to watch TV. As if to say, ‘Thank God. Finally. This is what I wanted from you, mom. I’m 3. I can manage this. I’m going back upstairs.’ She was five steps up when I called out, ‘If you don’t turn around and come back down here…’ Well, it worked for one. Not so much for the other.”
