What Sasha And Malia's Relationship With Michelle Obama's Mom Was Really Like

Michelle Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, sadly died at the age of 86 on May 31, 2024. Robinson was the quintessential matriarch of the family, and she saw the Obamas through a time of huge personal and professional upheaval. As the Obama family explained in their statement after her death, "On Election Night in 2008, when the news broke that Barack would soon shoulder the weight of the world, she was there holding his hand. With a healthy nudge, she agreed to move to the White House with Michelle and Barack. We needed her. The girls needed her, and she ended up being our rock through it all" (via NBC 4 New York).

Although it's an opportunity that precious few get to experience, Michelle Obama's mother wasn't that enthused about taking up residence in the White House. However, she did it for the sake of her granddaughters, Malia and Sasha. Unsurprisingly, becoming the president and first lady of the United States was a massive change for Barack and Michelle Obama, and because of their abruptly busier schedules, Marian stepped in to fill in the parenting gaps. Her presence as a constant extra caregiver and authority figure for years meant that Malia and Sasha had a very close relationship with their grandma.

Marian Robinson was a native of Chicago, and she spent the vast majority of her life residing there, only making the transition to Washington D.C. when Barack Obama was elected president. She left behind her life in Illinois and retired from her career as a bank secretary to play a grounding role in the life of all of the Obamas, and worked to "create a sense of normalcy for Malia and Sasha," per the Obama Foundation. 

Malia Obama was 10 years old when she moved to the White House, while Sasha Obama was only seven. Moving halfway across the country and into the spotlight of the world's stage was going to be difficult for two young girls, and Robinson explained to CBS This Morning, "I was worried about my grandkids. That's what got me to move to D.C." In the same interview, Michelle Obama said, "I wanted them to come home to family." She further elaborated that many of Sasha and Malia's experiences were strange, and even if their mother couldn't be there to guide them through it, having their grandma as a constant, reliable presence would give them the stabilizing influence they needed.

Because Marian Robinson resided at the White House during all eight years of the Obama administration, that meant she was always there for Malia and Sasha Obama in one of the most formative eras of their lives. Not only did she care for them during the day-to-day banalities of their young development, accompanying them on their rides to school and teaching them how to do their own laundry, but she also served as one of their parental figures during the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that come along with being first daughters. Interestingly, although she was a guiding force for the girls, she faced a lot of new adventures right along with them, as she hadn't even left the United States before Barack Obama became president.

Sasha and Malia Obama went from children to teenagers to burgeoning young adults during their time in Washington D.C., and they also transformed from average kids to two of the most famous minors on the planet. Marian Robinson was a vital part of making their unusual lives as normal as possible and really played the role of the third parental figure in both of their childhoods.