Michelle Obama on raising daughters in the White House: 'Some lines drawn'

Michelle Obama is opening up about her experience raising daughters Malia and Sasha whom she shares with husband former President Barack Obama while the family were living in the White House.

During her appearance on Melinda French Gates' podcast "Moments That Make Us," in an episode published on Wednesday, the former first lady discussed her philosophy in her parenting journey.

"I never felt my job was to create mini-mes, or create people who were going to live out some brokenness in me or fill some hole or to be my friend," she explained. "As my girls joke, I always said — my favorite line was, 'I'm not one of your little friends.'…and I think it makes parenting very easy…I just want you to respect yourself and know what works. We don't have to be friends, and through those boundaries, we are such good friends, but there were some lines drawn."

She continued, "So I felt my job was raising people and when you're raising people rather than babies you make different decision. I had to raise them to be stand-up young people on their own, especially as the daughters of a former president. But people are quick to cut a kid off if you don't show up right and you've got a name behind you. So they have to come correct."

Sasha and Malia Obama were just 7 and 10 years old, respectively, when their family entered the White House.

In the conversation with French Gates, Michelle Obama said she also acknowledged as public figures that her daughters "are watched."

"They had to learn how to balance the unwanted attention, but do it politely," she said. "To build their own lives in the spotlight and not be eaten up by it. Well those girls had to be smart and confident and independent straight away even when they were living in a house with butlers and maids and florists. But I was raising them thinking, 'You're not going to live here, and with me, forever. So I've got to hand you your life soon and let you manage it.' "

"So that was the intentionality of it and it had to do a lot with who they were but I think no matter who we were that'd have been my approach because I do think that the sooner young people learn to own their lives, the better off they're able to manage what's to come," she added.

Sasha, who is now 23 years old, graduated from University of Southern California last year in May. Malia, 26, is currently working in the film industry and made her red carpet debut at 2024 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year for her short film, "The Heart."