Growing Up Obama

There hasn’t been a child of less than 10 years old living in the White House since Amy Carter’s arrival at age nine, back in 1977. But with Barack Obama — father to Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7 — in the running to become the next U.S. president, there could soon be two new kids throwing giggly slumber parties in the building’s hallowed halls.

In this week’s PEOPLE, Barack and wife Michelle open up about life at home in Chicago, and the family’s house rules. Our favorites? Making the bed. "It doesn’t have to look good — just throw the sheet over it," says Michelle. The girls also have to keep their playroom and toy closet clean, and aren’t allowed to tease one another. Bedtime for the possible first daughters to-be? 8:30 p.m. "They got an extra half-hour when they were ready to read on their own," Michelle shares.

Pick up a copy of this week’s PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday, to learn more about the girls’ chores, favorite activities and impromptu Kung Fu Panda performances. For some fun interview outtakes, visit People.com.

What are some of your house rules?

Comments

8:30 seems quite late to me, but maybe it’s just me? Also, I give the children seperate bedtimes, especially if they are 3 years apart.

I thought there was recently some debate if families should be kept out of the elections but now he’s putting them in it himself.

- Sarita on July 25th, 2008

While I am not a political supporter of Mr. Obama, I must say that his family is beautiful, and clearly he and his wife have raised their daughters with strong family values and he gets much respect from me for that.
(Imagine those 2 little girls in the Oval Office…that would be adorable)

- Mom2boys on July 25th, 2008

Until I was 14, I would go to bed at 8:30 PM as well ! Last time I was grounded, I was 19 and my mother sent me to bed at 9:30 PM. I went.
We could only play with our dolls on weekends as we spent the whole day (till 5PM) in school, which let us only the time to do our homeworks, shower, eat and go to bed. It was a very silent home if I recall…
Now, at 26, I normally go to bed at 4 AM after work ! Sweet revenge ?

When I have kids, I will have to figure everything out again !

- Jo Ann v. on July 25th, 2008

They seem to have this right…children need structure and family rules.

- Mari on July 25th, 2008

My daughters are 11 and 14 and there bedtime is 10pm. We have tried an earlier bedtime but they are still up at 10 anyway. We do impose consequences if they fail to get up on time in the mornings, but there is no sense in putting them to bed at 9 if they are still awake at 10. This just gives them an extra hour to read before bed, no computer or tv allowed after 9!

- Christa on July 25th, 2008

This post said that there hasn’t been a youngster in the White House since Amy Carter. What about Chelsea Clinton? She was just a child when Bill took office. She had to unfortunately endure the public eye and scrutiny of the media. I wish the Obama children good luck if their dad makes it.

- Toni on July 25th, 2008

“There hasn’t been a youngster living in the White House since Amy Carter’s arrival at age nine, back in 1977.”

Did you forget that Chelsea Clinton was eleven years old when he father was elected President in 1992?

- angela on July 25th, 2008

The post said that there hasn’t been a youngster in the White House since Amy Carter. What about Chelsea Clinton? That poor child had to grow up under the scrutiny of the media. I wish the Obama girls good luck!

- Tara on July 25th, 2008

No youngster since Amy Carter? Where did Chelsea Clinton live? I think she was about 12 when her father became president.

- jules on July 25th, 2008

Sorry- it was just updated to “child under 10.”

- jules on July 25th, 2008

I agree Mari, a few people actually criticized them about the $1 a week allowance. I was lucky to get 50 cents when I was their age but my parents did give me money for birthdays or good grades

- Renee on July 25th, 2008

Sarita– he said he doesn’t believe in using his opponent’s family to attack him, which i think is something most people consider common decency (even though given the facts it would be easy to choose the low road). he also said that his kids wouldn’t be doing any more interviews because he hadn’t expected it to get played in a loop on all the news shows, the level of coverage of the interview bothered him, but his kids weren’t interviewed for this story (which was done before the other one anyway) from what i can tell, just him and his wife. clearly they’re two proud parents who enjoy their kids, they gush about them like all parents do.
i can’t remember ever having a strict bedtime when i was little, i don’t have any kids yet but one of the kids i take care of is 8 and he’s expected to be in bed by 7:30 or 8pm every night. his younger sister who naps during the day actually goes to bed quite a bit later than he does.
it’s important for kids to have boundaries and to learn responsibility, and it sounds like these kids have that. making beds and helping pick up around the house even if it isn’t done perfectly is a good way for young kids to start, my parents definitely had me do that kind of stuff quite early on.

- mn on July 25th, 2008

i’ve been confused as to whether obama is more politician or celebrity. the media onslaught is akin to coverage of brangelina.

i think with the people magazine cover and the fact that he is on the celebrity baby blog my questions have been answered.

- fuzibuni on July 25th, 2008

My mom did the “read for 30 min to stay up later” and my sister and I are both voracious readers to this day.

I love the Obamas!

- Kelly on July 25th, 2008

I think you are 100% correct, fuzibuni…I never thought of it that way before!!!

- ang on July 25th, 2008

Fuzbini and Ang, the reason Obama gets so much attention is that he’s a Black candidate for being president of the U.S. It’s a big deal to so many people ,me included.

- Renee on July 25th, 2008

I think some of you guys are missing the fact that there has been a lot of ‘mystery’ about Obama’s family life, and people want to know who he is. He’s trying to be accessible, to let people relate to him and his family. Seeing him as a family man can help make people more comfortable with him. Political strategy? Maybe, but I think it really does help to have some insight into who your future president is as a person. (And I personally truly hope that he is our future president).

- Alice on July 25th, 2008

My twins(7) are in bed by 830 during school year/9 summer time. My 12 year old is 930 school year/10 summer time.

- Lisa on July 25th, 2008

I guess I’m confused with your comment, fuzibuni. CBB does stories on many politician’s children. Dick Cheney’s daughter has appeared on CBB several times, for instance. I think the diff. with Obama is that he actually has young children, still at home, while many politicians’ children (like John McCain) are grown and may even have children of their own.

Once this story came out, Obama was immediately embarassed (per an article on CNN). He didn’t realize how much the interview was going to focus on his children and how much attention it would get. I mean, a person can get interviewed for a couple of hours and then the journalist ends up taking 10 min. worth of the interview and writing the whole article off that. I think kids should be left out of the limelight as much as possible when it comes to politics, so I hope he stands by his comment not to do interviews about them again.

Also, it’s an election year so yes, Obama and McCain are going to be treated like celebrities. I know there has been a lot of talk about Obama getting more press, and I guess I do see that nationally (perhaps because he is the first African American/Black nominee for president?) but where I live McCain is all over the news and I rarely see anything about Obama. Maybe it depends on the region? Presidential candidates are trying to appear more “hip” and reaching out to a younger crowd, which explains the People cover. McCain did the Ellen Show, Hillary was on Letterman and SNL, both Mrs. McCain and Mrs. Obama were on The View, etc. So, I don’t think it’s just Obama.

- MB on July 25th, 2008

Let me start out by saying I’m 100% Republican and voting for John McCain.

I don’t like how Obama is throwing his family out there so early, and acting like he is already the president. I feel like interviews like these should be held off until after the election is over. It makes me feel like he’s using his children in his political campaign.

Again, just my opinion, and I don’t want to get 74 retaliation posts.

- jaime on July 25th, 2008

Jaime , why post that here? I don’t think this thread is suppose to be about politics. I don’t understand why some people are turning it into one. Can we avoid political debates on this one topic?

- Renee on July 25th, 2008

fuzibuni, my thoughts exactly! ☺

- SouthernBelle on July 25th, 2008

So we shouldn’t get to know the candidates until after we have voted? Personally I love this interview and its the first issue of people I’ve been tempted to buy in a while.

- brannon on July 25th, 2008

I don’t post any political views besides that I’m not an Obama supporter and that I don’t believe he should be putting his children out there as much. If thats me being political then sorry. But, again it is my opinion.

- jaime on July 25th, 2008

My political views and opinions aside, I love that he did this and I love reading it. They seem like fantastic parents who are raising their girls right.

- Kate on July 25th, 2008

Jaime, you made it political by your first statement (“I”m 100% republican…”)

Had you just stated your second paragraph that in your opinion you didn’t like him putting his kids out there, then it it wouldn’t have been political at all, it would have simply been a comment on the post in this blog.

- Asiram on July 25th, 2008

Jaime, See this is what I’m talking about? CBB asked :What are some of your house rules?
Can’t we just avoid politics? Talking about politics usually end up in heated debates where feelings are hurt and it just divides people. It’s not a good conversation topic unless it’s with good friends.

- Renee on July 25th, 2008

perhaps the editors could note for those concerned about bias that in the editor’s note accompanying this issue it’s pointed out that sen. mccain along with his wife and kids sat down with the magazine several months ago. all the candidates’ families are out there, they are an integral part of their lives and who they are, it’s understandable that there would be curiousity about the subject.

- mn on July 25th, 2008

My bedtime was 8:00 until The Cosby Show debuted on TV and I got an 8:30 Thursday night exception. From age 9-11, it was 9:00. After that I went to a really academically competitive jr/sr high school over an hour away, so the bedtime of 10 was rarely enforced.
I did think it was odd that the Malia and Sasha have the same bedtime. But I probably shouldn’t say too much – Malia is probably smart enough to use the court of public opinion to negotiate a later bedtime.

- SweetDiva on July 25th, 2008

I remember McCain did an interview for PEOPLE talking about the romantic things he did for his wife. There’s nothing wrong with these types of interviews. Should McCain’s romantic moves or Obama’s daughters bedtimes be the focus of an election? No, but it’s fun and interesting to know and see a different side of the guy who will be our future leader (McCain or Obama)

- Kate on July 25th, 2008

Mr. Obama did an Access Hollywood interview a few weeks ago with his family and after it came out he said he regretted putting his daughters in the spotlight like that….granted I haven’t read the people issue I’m not sure how much a part of this the girls are in but if you don’t want to publicize them (which obviously there really is no choice at times) why put them on the cover of people magazine?? I don’t know I’m confused by his whole flip flopping ways. Didnt’ say I’m not a supporter and didn’t say I am just have a hard time understanding his views at times.

- JM on July 25th, 2008

Oh and btw I believe 8:00 for that age of his children is a reasonable bedtime. My parents never put a bedtime in place. Usually I went to bed though on my own when I was tired which usually ended up being between 9 and 10 p.m. as a kid. Highschool well that was another story. I went to bed at all different times

- JM on July 25th, 2008

@ JM,

Again, you are putting political views in here by even mentioning the words “flip-flopping”. Let’s discuss the family..

Moreover, this interview was done before Obama made those ststements about not giving anymore access to the kids.

This is a beautiful family. The girls are gorgeous.

I like that the girls have stucture in their lives. You can tell That Mr. Obama is very organized, and it can be seen in their every day lives.

In the past PEOPLE have had:
Julie Eisenhower, Amy Carter and Dad, The Clinton Family, George Bush, George Bush, Sr. & wife, The Vice President & Mrs. Mondale, and Ronald & Nancy Regan on their covers.

- SAHARA on July 25th, 2008

I love the Obamas, and I think they’re a great family!

My sister and I never had specific bedtimes growing up. We just went asleep whenever we felt tired. I have a sleep disorder so I’ve always struggled with going to bed at regular times (ever since I was a baby). Sleep specialists say that you shouldn’t force yourself to go to sleep when you aren’t actually tired yet; otherwise it makes the problem worse. Admittedly, my parents weren’t very strict with us but we turned out great! We’re both very smart (we were always at the top of our classes in school), and we were very involved in our school and community. We quickly learned that if we went to bed too late and had trouble waking up in the morning, it was our own fault and we had to suffer the consequences! lol

- Ash on July 25th, 2008

I think people’s reactions to the article are just based off who they are supporting. I’m not an Obama supporter so I didn’t like the article or the cheesy picture on the front. I think the media’s just trying to win votes by showing what a good looking young family they are. I’ll give them that… they are good looking. Now if People Magazine had Ron Paul on the front cover I’d buy 15 copies and frame them! It’s all in who you support. I have a feeling if I supported Obama I’d like the article. Did People Magazine ever once even mention Ron Paul? Nope. But that’s the way it goes.

By the way, my kids are 6,4 and 2 and in the summer they go to bed at 10:00 pm. During the school year they go to bed @ 8:00 and we read/talk/sing until lights out at 8:30.

- Raebees on July 25th, 2008

lol. cheesy? it’s just a regular family portrait. win votes by showing how attractive they are? lol again. what are they supposed to do, put bags over their head? they can’t help what they look like. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said people are reacting based on who they’re voting for.

I think they seem like a really smart, grounded family. I like hearing about candidates’ family life and values, because it gives good insight into their character, etc. Hearing about some of McCain’s past family stuff gave a lot of insight as well. And since I’m a book fanatic, and absolutely want my children to be big-time readers, I love that they gave them an extra half-hour at night for reading time.

- carie on July 25th, 2008

Unfortunately, there are still tons of people who buy into the idea that Barack Obama is some radical extremist (or presumptuous elitist, take your pick) and his wife an anti-American psycho loon. I’ve heard more than once from several people that they just don’t know that much about Barack Obama as a political and a person. IMO, you can learn an awful lot about someone based upon the more you know about how they raise and interact with their children. As the Democratic nominee for president it’s natural that PEOPLE would want to reach out and feature the Obamas, especially because they featured the McCains in an issue released last year.

That said, this story was completed well before the Access Hollywood interview. Like many issues in the political cycle, it’s easy to refer to something like this as a “flip flop” when in fact a little more research would reveal that Obama has been consistent about no longer granting interviews with his children since the AH Fourth of July one.

And with THAT said, lol, I love the cover and don’t think it’s any more cheesy than any other American family that has graced the covers and pages of PEOPLE Magazine. I think the girls are beautiful and that Obama is the type of father he wishes he had growing up. And believe it or not, BO was my third choice the Presidential nominee behind Bill Richardson and Ron Paul, so I don’t buy that only people who are ardent supporters of his defend his choices regarding his family.

- Erica on July 25th, 2008

Love the picture of the Obamas. He should do as many interviews as he likes.

- Jay on July 25th, 2008

Who’s with these little girls all these months that the parents have been on the road?

I find it hard to imagine this structure and cozy family life with such small children tying to the traveling we’ve seen both of them doing for the past year at least.

It’s a nice story, though, and the girls are adorable.

- Mousie on July 25th, 2008

The Obamas have now become my absolute favorite public (celebrity) family. I always the girls were cute and I loved it whenever they made public appearances.

Malia really impressed me in the Access Hollywood interview. Such a mature young lady with an outgoing and fun personality. Sasha didn’t say much, but she is deliciously cute and IMO the spitting image of her mother.

I love the structure that they provide their kids. Nothing wrong with that. That’s why kids have parents.

I can’t wait to pick up the magazine.

- sheryl on July 25th, 2008

Nice family! His detractors must be really nervous…they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel with their criticisms (too late bedtime? not enough time spent with the kids? LOL! ), I guess his intelligence and competence can’t be attacked … it’s about time for a smart and capable prez!

- Ilaria on July 25th, 2008

Mousie, the girls absolutely have structure. I’m not sure exactly what Michelle’s schedule is like now that we’re on the cusp of the general election season, but during the entire length of the primaries she quit her job to be with the girls full-time and would spend at a maximum only two days away from them a week to campaign for Barack. During those days, Sasha and Malia would stay with their maternal grandmother who lives like 20 minutes from their house. They were able to go to school and continue their extracurriculars as usual b/c the Obamas were really firm about disrupting their lives as little as possible (and despite some of the opinion-based stories the mainstream media are pushing, I think they are doing a good job considering that both kids seem so happy and bright in photos). I also think we’ve seen more of them in photographs lately because it is summer time and they are able to travel more with their parents.

- Erica on July 25th, 2008

A beautiful family and good on People for showing more of this.

People attacking a family should be ashamed of themselves. Keep your politics at the door or better yet, if the subject matter isn’t to your liking, show self restraint and move on to another thread.

- Cesaria on July 26th, 2008

I don’t understand how some people get scolded for making “political” comments that weren’t all that offensive, yet some people toward the end of the message lists are making comments about Obama being a great change President. Didn’t someone above scold about that mess? Where are they now that the pro people are speaking up? I didn’t think a bedtime comment was scraping the bottom of the barrel. I’m sorry some fans think that everythnig is a hit toward candidates. I think a couple people here are probably better than posting what they think of Obama’s intelligence and capability, btw…lol!

I love the definition of ‘fairness’ some people have here.

- machick on July 26th, 2008

I’ll have to pick up People this week! I’m looking forward to reading the article. I love the cover picture, what a beautiful, loving family!

- terri on July 26th, 2008

People kill me about the statements of Barack being a celebrity. Wasn’t Ronald Regan and Arnold Swarzenegar (sp) celebrities and actors on top of that? Here you have a smart, brilliant, more than qualified man preparing to take the highest office in the land and people have to find something they don’t like.

He has a beautiful family. Michelle is on leave from her job to stay home with the with the girls. When she is on the road, her mom stays with the kids, what better person than the person who reared you? I don’t recall people asking who was home minding Chelsea through the Clinton campaigns.

If you don’t like Obama, that’s fine, but it’s CBB which is about the kids. No one can disagree with the fact that they have done a great job rearing their children.

- J-Lin on July 27th, 2008

MB and J-Lin – great comments!

It seems that people only pick and choose what they read and understand, especially about Mr. Obama being a “celebrity” ?? He’s running for President, I would hope he AND McCain would get some interviews so we as the voting public can understand them a little better.

- Beks on July 28th, 2008

Thanks Machick! My feelings exactly

- Jaime on July 28th, 2008

Jaime and Machick,

Get a life and stick to the script. Please don’t use this forum to air your political views or take shots at Senator Obama and his family. Please remember the rules about not being negative or insulting.

BTW the Obamas are a fine example of the embodiment of great family values I don’t care what your political persuasion may be.

- MarisMom on July 28th, 2008

OK, so if Sen. Obama “paraded” his family, did Gov. Palin and Sen. McCain not do the same thing? BTW, I may very well vote Republican this time around, so this is purely a “rhetorical” exercise, lol.

- Sasha, USA on September 10th, 2008