How The Obama Sisters' White House Years Prepared The Biden Grandkids For Life In The Spotlight

There was a time when you would be hard-pressed to go a day without seeing a meme about the heartful bromance between President Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Unfortunately, the BROTUS days ended with Barack Obama's presidency as he moved on to a quieter life. But don't worry, all is not lost because the younger generations of the Obama and Biden families are carrying their friendship on.

Biden has seven grandchildren, most of whom are young adults who have to deal with the mentally draining public eye that watches their every move. It can be hard to get some sense of normalcy when you're a part of the president's immediate family, but Obama's daughters Malia and Sasha have shown us that it's possible. So, it's no wonder the Biden sisters have leaned on them for support and advice on navigating their new lives.

Speaking to Today, the president's granddaughter Finnegan Biden explained how the Obama sisters inspired them. "Maisy and I and Natalie and Naomi have had the privilege of being able to see two of our friends navigate eight years of what was really difficult, and they did so, so beautifully," she said. "And they came out so grounded and humble, and they're so smart and driven, so I think we can only take advice from them." She added that they've received loads of valuable advice from the Obama sisters, and they hope they'll come out of the White House with as much humility and strength as Malia and Sasha. 

Over the years, we've seen a friendship blossom between Sasha Obama and Maisy Biden, President Joe Biden's granddaughter. As two people of the same age who've shared similar experiences of having parents in powerful positions and being in the spotlight at a young age, it's unsurprising that the pair bonded early on. It's safe to assume their friendship strengthened when they attended the same high school and played on the same basketball team that former President Barack Obama once coached. 

When Barack appeared on Dax Shephard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, he spoke highly of Maisy's athletic abilities, saying, "Maisy was like the LeBron of the league. She dominated. She was great, you know, and we went undefeated. The Vipers ruled." Barack also shared that Maisy was one of Sasha's closest friends. Although the Vipers won the coveted fourth-grade championship league, Barack was sadly resigned from coaching after some of the opposing team's parents complained that his presence gave the Vipers an unfair advantage. 

However, that didn't stop both Barack and Joe from showing up to support their young ones. And the kids have also had loads of fun off-campus too. Maisy and Sasha had a joint graduation party to celebrate the end of high school. When Biden's grandchildren and Barack's children joined them for a democratic convention, they had a sleepover to turn up the fun. In 2017, Malia and Sasha also had fun catching some sun in Miami on a girl's trip.

Michelle and Barack Obama understood how being in the spotlight could affect their daughters, Malia and Sasha, so they sought to create a relatively normal life by keeping things simple at the White House. In an interview with Stephen Colbert, Michelle recalled that when she first set foot into the presidential palace, she was already trying to figure out how she would make this massive building feel more like a home to her children. 

She noted that many members of the White House's support staff consisted of African-American and Latino men, and she didn't want her daughters to grow up with the idea that these men existed to serve them. So, she barred them from using their services constantly and even urged the staff to let her girls make their beds, wash the dishes, clean up after playtime, and set the table. 

In the interview, the former First Lady recalled how Malia and Sasha pointed out she used the support staff's services, but Michelle told them that all her hard work had earned her the right to their service. Speaking to People in 2008, the Obamas shared their daughters got an allowance of $1 per week if they did all their chores, but Malia eventually began to do her duties without asking for the money. They also explained that they prevented the media attention from getting to their daughters' heads by teaching them to practice empathy and keeping them away from campaigns.