What Michelle Obama Missed Most About Life Before Fame While In The White House

When former First Lady Michelle Obama first walked into the White House, she realized that her job's luxuries weren't as nice as they seemed. In her 2020 documentary "Becoming," she recalled that while having tea with Laura Bush before the handover, she noticed that the White House support staff primarily consisted of African-American and Latino men in impeccable tuxedos. 

The former First Lady recognized some of these men as her family members and came to a realization, which she recalled, "I didn't want [my daughters] thinking that grown African American men serve them in tuxedos," (via US Weekly). Michelle added that she didn't want her daughter's impressionable friends to feel that these men existed to serve them, so she made a major fashion change for the staff by switching to a more informal dress code. While the best-selling author felt grateful for the support staff's services, she also believed they took away some of the independence of her pre-White House life. 

So, when Extra asked her what she missed about those times, she answered, "It's the little things, going into a grocery store and picking my own apple and checking it out and reaching into my wallet and pulling out my wallet," adding, "I don't even know where my wallet is right now. I don't think I've seen it all day. I'm just trying to keep my regular life mojo up." While it may have been harder for Michelle to find a semblance of a normal life during her husband's terms, she tried to ensure her daughters grew up normal. 

In "Becoming," former  Michelle Obama shared that she pleaded with the White House support staff not to tidy up her daughters, Sasha and Malia Obama's room. Michelle explained that she wanted her young daughters to learn basic life skills like making their bed and cleaning their room because they wouldn't have the support of the White House staff for the rest of their lives. As you might've guessed, Malia and Sasha initially didn't take on the responsibility happily. 

They pointed out how Michelle enlisted the support staff's help for her room, but Michelle told them that she had earned the privilege by working hard through her husband, former President Barack Obama's election campaign. When the Obamas sat down for an interview with People in 2008, they shared that they gave their daughters a $1 allowance weekly if they did their chores. Barack noted that in addition to their personal chores, the girls also had to set up their dinner table and wash the dishes.

Meanwhile, Michelle revealed that they didn't give their little ones presents for birthdays because their parties already brought hundred-dollar price tags. The parents had their kids' best interests at heart with their rather strict upbringing, as Barack asserted, "And our job, more than anything, is to make sure that in addition to monitoring whether or not they're feeling sad or neglected at all, that they're also not feeling special because their dad is running for President."

When former First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to Oprah Winfrey, she shared that she and her husband, former President Barack Obama, practiced restraint for personal expenses at the White House. Michelle explained that while they didn't have to shell out money for rent or staff salaries, they had to pay for any special food they requested. So, she told her husband to steer clear of mentioning he was fond of any expensive ingredients because the staff would order it and then forward them a hefty bill at the end of the month. 

"The Light Podcast" host stressed that she wasn't complaining about her time at the White House because it was a luxurious experience. Michelle also noted that she didn't particularly miss the historic building, explaining, "A house is a house and what you bring to the home is what makes it a home." She added: "How we lived in the home is what I remember the most. [...] We took what was important from the house with us: its family, its values, its friendships" (via YouTube).

Despite everything, the house still served as their home for eight years, so Michelle couldn't help but sob at Donald Trump's presidential inauguration as they would leave it behind after the ceremony. On "The Light Podcast," the former First Lady shared that the crying was a cathartic experience because it helped her unleash some of the emotions she hadn't permitted herself to feel through her husband's term.