Michelle Obama confessed that she doesn't miss her daughters, Malia and Sasha, now that they have moved out of the family home. The admission came during an episode of her podcast, "IMO," which she hosts with her brother, Craig Robinson.
During a conversation about parenting and children leaving home, Obama, 62, stated with a laugh, "I don't miss 'em." She quickly clarified that she loves her daughters and was scheduled to have dinner with them that evening. She contrasted her reaction to her husband, President Barack Obama, who reportedly cried when their daughters left for college.
"Now, Friday nights aren't wrecked with terror and fear about, 'Where are you, where are you?'" Obama said, describing the relief from parental anxiety.
Obama, the author of "Becoming," expressed pride in Malia, 28, and Sasha, 25, noting their growth and "emancipation." She believes she has a significant amount of quality time with them now, stating she knows them "inside and out."
In a previous "IMO" episode, she referred to this period as a "new phase of life" where many of the difficult aspects of raising children are less frequent. She described children as a "major joint project" for parents.
Malia and Sasha have largely remained out of the public eye. They were 10 and 7 years old, respectively, when their father was elected president in 2008. The sisters were last publicly seen with their parents at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago in June. They also made a rare public appearance with their mother in May for Mother's Day.