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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Obama Explains Why Embracing Life's 'Messy' Parts Makes You a Better Parent
The former first lady and Parents Next Gen winner has always been a staunch advocate for children's health and wellness. As a podcast host, she's laying it all on the table, helping us to raise healthier, happier kids. Many of us were first introduced to Michelle Obama on the national stage, as a successful attorney who'd worked in higher education and health care and the mother of two elementary school-aged daughters. Her husband Barack Obama's meteoric rise to the presidency proved her family was capable of living in the spotlight. Still, some questioned if she'd be able to weather the inevitable scrutiny that would come with raising the very first Black children to live in the White House and the youngest since the Kennedys. Spoiler: She and Malia Obama have grown to be responsible, resilient, independent adults, and it's become incredibly clear that Michelle Obama was up to the task of motherhood under a microscope—and many other initiatives in service of children. From her health care and education advocacy to children's television production and a new podcast that further sharpens the picture of her own family, Michelle Obama is a caregiving powerhouse. That commitment to helping us grow our own healthy, happy kids is what makes Michelle Obama a clear choice for the Parents 2025 Next Gen Awards.'Barack and I did everything we could to give our girls as normal of a life as possible. When we were at the White House, we made sure they were doing things like making their beds every morning and as they got older, getting summer jobs,' Michelle Obama said in an exclusive interview with Parents. She says her parenting style has been a mix of supporting her daughters and holding them accountable. She wanted to raise children who knew how to think for themselves, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.'Once we left the White House, their lives slowly began to inch a little closer toward normalcy,' she says. 'But the truth is, their circumstances have been extraordinary in so many ways—and that forced them to learn critical skills like discipline, flexibility, and determination to go after what they really wanted.'Michelle Obama was laser-focused on instilling the value of hard work and accountability in her daughters. She was intent on making their lives as normal and authentic as possible. An Authentic Voice Since leaving the White House, Michelle Obama seems to have rejected the narrow expectations of the old guard in favor of her own values; she's been creative and has opened up about family life—parenting, marriage, family values, and even her own childhood—in a way few former First Ladies have before. On IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, a podcast she hosts with her older brother Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama is candid about navigating relationships, raising kids, and a number of other hard topics.'It's so easy for us to curl up into this protective instinct and not talk about the messy or more complicated bits of our lives. It can feel dangerous to expose those imperfect parts of ourselves. But over the years, I have learned that it's really the opposite,' Michelle Obama says that authentically telling her own story helps to highlight the commonalities that make life simpler for all of us. On IMO, she's shared memories of how her mother favored Craig and learning to stand up for herself growing up in Chicago. 'When we realize that and learn each other's stories, it makes living life, as well as raising kids, so much easier,' says Michelle Obama. 'As parents, we're all going through similar things. And some of us have questions that others have the answers to. But we're not going to get those answers without having the courage to put ourselves out there.' She says modern parents are often overwhelmed by anxiety around 'getting it right,' and the kind of competition social media sparks only exacerbates that. 'Every time we pick up our phones, we see images of families that just look too perfect. It makes you think everyone is doing better than you. And that's just not reflective of reality,' she to someone who has 'done it all' talk about the challenges in her own journey helps struggling parents untangle some of that anxiety.'Each of us has our own style when it comes to raising kids. So if you're doing something different than your friends and neighbors, that's OK,' says Michelle Obama. 'Just like our kids, we're going to have times where we succeed and times when we fail. That's a part of the journey. We have to recognize that, and give ourselves—and each other—a little grace along the way.' Making Life Easier for Parents The truth is, Michelle Obama has always been dedicated to our wellness. During her time in the White House, she championed the Let's Move! Initiative, a public health campaign designed to combat childhood obesity through government partnerships with businesses and philanthropic organizationsSince then, she's co-executive produced Waffles & Mochi, a show that demystifies healthy food and cooking for children, and founded PLEZi Nutrition, a drink company that makes beverages without added sugar. She says children's health should be a community effort.'Children's health is about so much more than our kids. It's about all of us,' she says. 'What's available in our stores, what's on the menu in schools, whether or not our kids can play safely at the playground, it all ladders up to the well-being of our families and communities.' Michelle Obama believes a healthier nation starts with the littlest members of our families.'We've simply got to make it easier for families to raise healthier kids. We need to make the healthy option the easy option. We've got to make it easy for parents to afford—and cook with—fresh ingredients. We've got to make it easy for kids to get some exercise during the school day,' she says. 'We've got to make it easy for everybody to hydrate themselves without loading up on sugar. It's a challenge I've tackled from a variety of ways for more than a decade and a half. And I'm not letting up any time soon.' An Empty Nester When most of us met Michelle Obama 20 years ago, she was a person parenting in the public eye. Now, she's a woman who's sharing the lessons she learned from facing the criticism of the political machine and coming out of the other side—with her principles, commitment to wellness, and her family intact.'And now here we are. My girls are both in their 20s. And while they know that even now, they are under more scrutiny than others their age, they've learned to roll with the punches,' says Michelle Obama. 'I'm always so impressed by how they handle it—with grace, resolve, and charm. These days, more than anything, I can't wait to see how they surprise us next.' Read the original article on Parents Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Barack Obama says men need gay friends to teach empathy, be role models to kids
Former President Barack Obama encouraged men to have gay friends to teach their boys "empathy" and be role models, on the Wednesday episode of the "IMO" podcast with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. During his guest appearance on his wife and brother-in-law's podcast, the former president discussed raising "emotionally intelligent" young men and why boys need male figures other than their fathers in their lives. Obama recalled how he enjoyed visiting Michelle at her house when they were dating and seeing the variety of male relatives in her family that each demonstrated masculinity in their own ways. "And that's one of the things that I think a lot of times boys need, is, not just exposure to one guy, one dad, no matter how good the dad. He can't be everything," Obama began. "And that boy may need somebody to give the boy some perspective on the dad right?" Michelle Obama Says She's 'So Glad' She Never Had A Son, Says He 'Would Have Been A Barack Obama' Obama shared how one of his favorite professors in college was openly gay and would call him out for "saying stuff that was ignorant" when he first started his class. Read On The Fox News App The ex-president argued that men need LGBTQ friends to model kindness and empathy and to be a role model to their own kids, who may come out as gay or non-binary. "You need that, to show empathy and kindness," he continued. "And by the way, you need that person in your friend group, so that if you then have a boy who is gay or non-binary or whatever, they have somebody that they can go, 'Okay, I'm not alone in this,' right? So that, I think, is creating that community. I know it's corny, but that's what they need." On the podcast episode, Obama also scolded progressives for leaving boys behind while "rightly" trying to "level" the playing field for girls. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture "I will say, as quote-unquote progressives, Democrats, progressive parents, enlightened ones, we've made that mistake sometimes in terms of our rhetoric, where it's like we're constantly talking about it, you know, what's going on with the boys instead of what's right with them," he stated. "And that's been a mistake. And I think people are starting to recognize that," he added. Obama also called it "promising" that young men are beginning to realize that there are many different ways of being a "good, strong, successful, happy man." However, he expressed criticism of the younger generation for leaving behind some of the good aspects of what the "old models" of manhood contained, such as chivalry. Fox News' Marc Tamasco contributed to this article source: Barack Obama says men need gay friends to teach empathy, be role models to kids Solve the daily Crossword
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Barack Obama says men need gay friends to teach empathy, be role models to kids
Former President Barack Obama encouraged men to have gay friends to teach their boys "empathy" and be role models, on the Wednesday episode of the "IMO" podcast with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson. During his guest appearance on his wife and brother-in-law's podcast, the former president discussed raising "emotionally intelligent" young men and why boys need male figures other than their fathers in their lives. Obama recalled how he enjoyed visiting Michelle at her house when they were dating and seeing the variety of male relatives in her family that each demonstrated masculinity in their own ways. "And that's one of the things that I think a lot of times boys need, is, not just exposure to one guy, one dad, no matter how good the dad. He can't be everything," Obama began. "And that boy may need somebody to give the boy some perspective on the dad right?" Obama shared how one of his favorite professors in college was openly gay and would call him out for "saying stuff that was ignorant" when he first started his class. The ex-president argued that men need LGBTQ friends to model kindness and empathy and to be a role model to their own kids, who may come out as gay or non-binary. "You need that, to show empathy and kindness," he continued. "And by the way, you need that person in your friend group, so that if you then have a boy who is gay or non-binary or whatever, they have somebody that they can go, 'Okay, I'm not alone in this,' right? So that, I think, is creating that community. I know it's corny, but that's what they need." On the podcast episode, Obama also scolded progressives for leaving boys behind while "rightly" trying to "level" the playing field for girls. "I will say, as quote-unquote progressives, Democrats, progressive parents, enlightened ones, we've made that mistake sometimes in terms of our rhetoric, where it's like we're constantly talking about it, you know, what's going on with the boys instead of what's right with them," he stated. "And that's been a mistake. And I think people are starting to recognize that," he added. Obama also called it "promising" that young men are beginning to realize that there are many different ways of being a "good, strong, successful, happy man." However, he expressed criticism of the younger generation for leaving behind some of the good aspects of what the "old models" of manhood contained, such as chivalry.
The Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald
Barack and Michelle Obama slam divorce rumours
Former US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle have scotched rumours that they are getting divorced. In a recent podcast of In My Opinion (IMO) hosted by Michelle and her brother Craig Robinson, the world's famous power couple spoke out on the matter for the first time. As Barack joined the set, Michelle greeted him with a warm hug and a peck on the cheek, prompting Robinson to jokingly ask, 'You guys like each other?' Michelle said 'Oh, yes ... It's my husband.' Barack jokingly replied, 'She took me back,' and the pair erupted in laughter. Michelle described Barack as a 'very special person' to her and 'very dear' to her heart. 'There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I thought about quitting on my man,' Michelle said. 'We've had some really tough times, we've had a lot of fun times, a lot of adventures and I have become a better person because of the man I'm married to.' Barack jokingly responded: 'Don't make me cry now.' Speculation about their marriage being on the rocks was fuelled by Barack's solo appearance at President Donald Trump's second inauguration and former president Jimmy Carter's funeral. But Michelle dismissed the speculation, saying that whenever they're not in the same room together, people assume they're divorced. Michelle and Barack met in 1989 and married three years later. They have two daughters. The couple have always been open about the challenges they've faced and the efforts they've made to maintain a healthy relationship. TimesLIVE
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Michelle Obama Wanted To ‘Ignore' Barack Obama Divorce Rumors, ‘Source' Claims
Barack Obama and have playfully talked about their divorce rumors head-on in a podcast recently. The couple addressed 'rumor mills' in an episode of Michelle Obama's podcast. And if sources are to be believed, the former First Lady of the United States wanted to 'ignore' the gossip, but the former President of the United States 'thought it was time to shut it down, with a wink.' Michelle Obama's instinct to tackle rumors was different from husband, 'source' claims Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have finally put an end to their ongoing divorce rumors. The couple talked about the news of their marriage trouble in her 'IMO' podcast. Although the former First Lady wanted to 'ignore' the rumors, as per the source, it was her husband who was eager to initiate the discussion. 'Barack thought it was time to shut it down, with a wink,' a source told Rob Shutter. The insider further revealed that 'Michelle's instinct was to ignore it,' but 'Barack wanted to joke — and guess who won?' The insider was referring to Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson's July 14 episode of the podcast. There she had welcomed a 'very special' guest, Barack Obama, the former U.S president, to the show. Looking at the warm welcome, Robinson joked about the couple saying, 'Wait, you guys like each other?.' The attorney immediately replied to the rhetorical question, saying, 'That's the rumor mill,' before proudly admitting, 'It's my husband, y'all.' Even Barack Obama joined the conversation and joked, 'She took me back. It was touch and go for a while.' The mom of two then warned her husband not to 'start,' but there was no holding back the former US President. Addressing the divorce rumors, Michelle Obama quipped during the podcast that when 'we aren't [together], folks think we're divorced.' To illustrate how serious their divorce rumour got, Robinson shared an encounter story with a stranger who questioned him, 'What did he do?.' Barack Obama quickly chimed in, revealing he was unaware that 'this stuff's going on,' until someone mentioned it to him. The news of their marriage trouble started spiralling earlier this year when the former US President attended several high-profile events without his wife. However, putting all rumors to rest, Michelle Obama said in the podcast, 'There hasn't been one moment in our marriage where I've thought about quitting my man.' Originally reported by Parul Singh on Reality Tea. The post Michelle Obama Wanted To 'Ignore' Barack Obama Divorce Rumors, 'Source' Claims appeared first on Mandatory. Solve the daily Crossword
