7 min read
Michelle Obama has always been open and candid when talking about motherhood, marriage, and the realities of family life in the public eye.
Whether she’s penning bestselling books or chatting on podcasts, the former First Lady brings a refreshingly honest and often humorous perspective to these conversations.
And in a recent episode of her podcast “IMO,” which she co-hosts with her brother Craig Robinson, Michelle offered an amusing yet insightful take on why she’s perfectly happy being a mom to daughters only.
During a heartfelt conversation about parenting, Michelle and her brother were joined by New York radio personality Angie Martinez.
The group touched on the tough truths of raising children today, especially boys, in a world filled with complicated challenges and shifting societal expectations.
Michelle shared her thoughts on what it really means to raise boys right in today’s world, saying, “People say mothers raise their girls and love their sons. And I say, love your son but raise them, too. Raise him to be as strong as you know he’s going to have to be. Teach him how to deal with the traffic stop but also teach him how to communicate in a marriage and be a listening father and to be a compassionate neighbor and be a voting citizen. Somebody who’s gonna pay attention and care about something outside of himself.”
That kind of wisdom speaks volumes about the way Michelle views parenting, not just as a duty, but as a responsibility to shape boys into conscious, compassionate, and accountable men.
In response to Michelle’s thoughtful commentary, Angie Martinez playfully suggested that Michelle should have added a son to the mix. That’s when Michelle, without missing a beat, joked, “I’m so glad I didn’t have a boy, because he would have been a Barack Obama.”
Now that line had everyone laughing. Angie Martinez responded with excitement, “Oh my, a baby Barack? That would have been amazing!” But Michelle wasn’t quite convinced that would’ve been so easy, adding, “No, I would have felt for him.”
Her brother Craig jumped in with a warm memory, pointing out that Michelle always found a way to enjoy the presence of boys anyway. “She just borrowed our boys. She always borrowed ours,” he shared with a smile.
Craig, a father of four, has two sons from his second marriage and a son and daughter from his first. So Michelle got her fair share of experience with boys, just not under her own roof.

Michelle and Barack Obama have been married since October 1992, and together they’ve raised two daughters: Malia, 26, and Sasha, 24. Both girls grew up under the spotlight during their father’s presidency, but in recent years, they’ve stepped back from public life and found their own paths.
In June, the Obamas celebrated Sasha’s 24th birthday with a rare family photo shared across social media. The picture showed the family of four dressed in summer outfits, all smiles and close together.
Michelle captioned her post with heartfelt words: “Happy birthday to my sweet girl, Sasha! Can’t believe how quickly time has flown. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become. Love you always!”
Barack shared the same image with his own loving message: “Watching you grow into the incredible woman you are has been a true gift. I’ll always be proud of you and will always be here for you.”
It’s clear that both Michelle and Barack take deep pride in their daughters, not just for what they’ve achieved, but for the strong, independent women they’re becoming.
The Obamas’ older daughter, Malia, has taken an especially creative turn in her life, stepping into the world of filmmaking. In 2024, she made her debut with a short film titled “The Heart,” where she was credited as “Malia Ann,” dropping the last name Obama entirely.
Michelle addressed this during an appearance on the “Sibling Revelry” podcast hosted by Kate and Oliver Hudson. She reflected on the choices her daughters are making as they transition into adulthood.
“Our daughters are 25 and 23. They’re young adult women, but they definitely went through a period in their teen years where it was the push away,” Michelle said. “They’re still doing that.”
She continued by explaining why Malia might have chosen to leave off her last name: “You’re trying to distinguish yourself. Malia, who started in film, and it being her first project, she took off her last name, and we were like, ‘They’re still going to know it’s you, Malia.’ But we respected the fact that she’s trying to make her way.”
That supportive attitude is what sets Michelle apart. Even in the face of her daughter stepping away from the family name, she sees it as part of a healthy journey toward independence.
Michelle Obama continues to strike a chord with many for the way she balances humor and honesty.
Her reflections on motherhood, especially about not having sons, reveal not just a joke but also a broader understanding of what it means to raise children with empathy, awareness, and strength.
Whether it’s navigating the push and pull of raising daughters or the imagined chaos of raising a mini-Barack, Michelle manages to approach each part of motherhood with wisdom, wit, and warmth.
And in doing so, she continues to inspire a generation of parents to raise their children, boys or girls, to be thoughtful, responsible, and kind human beings.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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