Michelle Obama On Motherhood: 'I Am Just Hoping That I Don't Mess Them Up'

Mothers everywhere have their share of critics, ready to cast stones at the first sight of a pacifier, a TV, or McDonald's Happy Meal. Now imagine putting your parenting skills center stage as First Lady of the United States. FLOTUS has kept her cool despite the critics, but still has her fingers crossed that she doesn't screw things up, according to an interview in People magazine.

“Like any mother, I am just hoping that I don’t mess them up,” the First Lady told a crew of reporters at a White House roundtable discussion about motherhood and her “Let’s Move” campaign against childhood obesity.

Mrs. Obama went on to stress the importance of carving out time for her children, which, for her, means getting them out of the White House bubble, going on vacations, and paying attention to their lives despite the often overwhelming spotlight on their father’s, according to People.

“It’s really the interaction that we have as a family that makes it feel like home," she said. "It’s sitting down at the dinner table and having Barack’s day be the last thing anyone really cares about.”

Interacting as a family also means limiting TV and Internet time to the weekends, and steering clear of Mr. Obama's personal aversion, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians."

Barack told ABC New last month that keeping his daughters' lives normal means allowing them space to make teenage mistakes. "But obviously, they're not... typical, in some ways," he said. "So they're still having sleepovers. And they're still going to the mall. And they're still going to movies. But they've got this guy with a gun following them around!"

Fit Sugar founder Lisa Sugar and her team also attended this week's roundtable discussion, focusing their coverage on how Michelle Obama stays motivated to work out, holding up her end of the family-focused fitness campaign she's heading up.

With a morning start of 5 a.m., Michelle's first task of the day is email, although she isn't expecting responses back that early. Then depending on if Malia and Sasha are up, she is either working out or getting the girls ready for school. Exercising is a way of life for the President and the First Lady, so it's no surprise she explains that it keeps her balanced, even if "it's a daily struggle."

What motivates her to work out? Vanity. "That's just sort of the honest thing...I'm now at that point where if I'm not eating or exercising, I feel badly. So I've gone from vanity to now necessity. But a lot of us have to get over the painful hump of starting," Fit Sugar reports.

What she listens to when working out? Everything from Jay-Z and Beyonce to The Beatles. "I have a very eclectic iPod. So I've got my cardio people -- so it's anything from Beyoncé to some Jay-Z to Janelle Monae, her song 'Tightrope,' that's a good cardio song. And then I've got Sting. I've got Mary J. Blige. I've got The Beatles. I've got Michael Jackson. I try to pick the songs that I personally love," she said.

We wonder what she was listening to while kicking back on Martha's Vineyard this summer.

Comments

[pphhrogg]

07:04 PM on 10/26/2011

Yep...that's what we ALL worry about. Now that my daughter is almost 33, a responsible adult and mother herself, I don't worry about that anymore. :-)

[demisfine]

10:43 AM on 10/22/2011

This proves that Mrs. Obama is a normal, concerned parent.
All of us should have doubts about how we will perform as parents. We haven't done it before (we'd be grandparents if that were the case) and the consequences are huge.

[Kelzie01]

06:57 PM on 10/23/2011

I was totally thinking of that quote too! But I love me some Michelle Obama. I think she's a great lady and I admire her parenting.

[SgtMom]

07:18 PM on 10/23/2011

My Mother didn't like Jackie, even though she was - and is - a die hard Democrat.

She thought Jackie was too "uppity" for her liking - and my mother came from a wealthy family.

That quote was my touchstone through out my child rearing years. Many times I was scoffed at for staying home with my kids, or going about in crappy old clothes so they could have things I didn't.

Both my Mother and Mother In Law scolded me often for not putting my kids in daycare and "getting out there!"

I will tell you, I have the greatest kids, a 36 year marriage AND a later in life surprise career success, one of those "And they PAY me to do this!" jobs.

I DO thank Jackie for her words of wisdom. My life, and my childrens' lives, are the better for it.

[Sistagirl Young]

03:50 PM on 10/21/2011

Only time will truly tell. Right now it appears The lovely FLOTUS has their daughters on the right path. I did things that were totally alien to my up-bringin'. I told my Mother that it should in noway make her feel she'd done anything that compelled me to make the decisions I chose to make. I don't know if she believed me but I tried to reassure her she was not responsible for my choices. All Moher's have feelin's of doubt--I'm sure. But I believe you do the best you can and ask GOD for guidance. That's all any parent can do, in my opinion. Life.

[Cakey4814]

03:01 PM on 10/21/2011

My first thought were the Bush twins and how they wrote a letter to Sasha and Malia to help them in their adjustment to living in the WH after Mr. Obama won. I think that was a wonderful gesture because only someone who has lived it can really tell it. This article shows that although she's the First Lady she has the same worries as any mother would and you just do the best you can.

[Allena Tapia]

10:02 PM on 10/20/2011

I totally identify with that statement- if I can get through without screwin my kids up, I'm happy. And, I also work out to be hot. She's pretty real. It is what it is, ya know?

[florencephoenix]

04:30 PM on 10/20/2011

You can put your mind at ease. Your children are fine and so are your parenting skills. You both have two daughters that are well grounded. You both and your mother get high scores in my book.

[aceshigh11]

12:34 PM on 10/20/2011

I'm not even going to read the comments here...I can only imagine the unmitigated hatred being spewed by the trollbaggers here.

I'll simply say that I'm a big fan of the First Lady, and her daughters are wonderful.

[LaurieAnn]

12:24 PM on 10/20/2011

The Obama's seems to be excellent parents and it certainly is a wonderful thing for them to have Grandmother Robinson in the White House with them when Mom and Dad are working.

[Dianne Jarreau]

10:59 AM on 10/20/2011

I almost forgot to remark upon this:"But they've got this guy with a gun following them around!" It came to my attention after the First family had been in Rome where their eldest daughter was escorted hand in hand by a young man from Secret Service and both of them dressed "very" casually as if they could have been from anywhere. They were virtually incognito until those pictures were published; when I encountered the most awful column on line by some very despicable Crackers who made crude remarks about "her date" and about her. This young man with a gun was not following, although there were possibly numerous incognito other Secret Service behind and all around, It was an eye-opener to read the remarks of hostile animosity.

[blackmanx2011]

10:30 AM on 10/20/2011

The First Lady's line item "I hope I don't mess them up" is typical of many a loving parent to say.

Looking from the outside-in....she appears to be doing a great job.

[Dhammi]

09:59 AM on 10/20/2011

From observing the first family and their children I would say every one of them is doing a fantastic job. Great role models for sure.

[Vanessa1129]

09:31 AM on 10/20/2011

First Lady, ur doing a fine job!
Keep doing what ya do.

[Ashley Satterfield]

09:30 AM on 10/20/2011

what an amazing woman. She's doing the best thing she can for those girls, leading by example.

[Topps]

07:30 AM on 10/20/2011

For her to still worry and ponder that thought indicates they will be just fine.

[Lordcron]

06:16 AM on 10/20/2011

I just love this first family. God bless them and keep them.