First Lady Michelle Obama on Work-Life Balance

Posted by: Lauren Young on November 16, 2009

At South High School in Denver, during a Q&A session on Nov. 16, First Lady Michelle Obama made these insightful remarks on juggling her public job as first lady with her private job as mother to Sasha and Malia.

Question: What is one of the most difficult things of being First Lady?

MRS. OBAMA: The most difficult things of being the First Lady? Wow. There are a lot of advantages. I mean, let me begin by saying that. I came into this position having absolutely no idea what to expect. But I can say that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this role, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. From the moment we started campaigning, the ability to travel around the country and to meet people — whether they were voting for my husband or not — who were open and engaged and thoughtful and caring and patriotic and loyal, you’re just reminded that this is a really solid country, doing really good things.

So over the course of the campaign I got really pumped out about wanting to do my very best in whatever way for this country — for kids, for military families, for mothers struggling. It’s just, I get pumped up to try to make sure that I’m working my hardest and that I’m not taking anything for granted.

But with that, you know, comes the challenge of having a role that’s very public and raising kids and making sure that my girls don’t get lost in all of this — because they’re young and they didn’t make this choice.

So the President and I are always balancing the role that we play in public with making sure that home is home and that we’re present and accounted for, for our kids — not as Michelle and Barack Obama, but as mom and dad. And that means that on a day like this, I leave in the morning, I come back before they go to bed. That means when they have an event it takes precedent over everything — whether it’s a school play or a soccer game — they know if I can be there, one of us, we will be there, and we will be there not signing autographs or taking pictures, but being mom and dad. I do it by making sure that I know what my kids’ homework is and that I’m asking them questions, and I know who their teachers are, and I know who their friends are, and they still feel like they have a life.

So striking that balance sometimes is tough. And because I care so much about my kids, I want to make sure that they come out of this as whole as possible. So you’re always struggling with making sure that you’re doing right by the country, but you’re also doing right by your kids.

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