Michelle Obama is serving up a dose of major realness, and we’ve never felt so seen — or so relieved to know she once felt the exact same way while raising daughters Malia and Sasha alongside former President Barack Obama. Regardless of status or title, a tired and stressed parent is still just a tired and stressed parent at the end of the day, and that includes one of the most famous, influential women on Earth.
During her Revolt x Michelle Obama special event arranged as part of her book tour for The Light We Carry, the former First Lady opened up about parenthood’s effects on a marriage — including her own. She said, “People think I’m being catty for saying this — it’s like, there were 10 years where I couldn’t stand my husband. Ten years! And guess when it happened? When those kids were little.”
The mom of two explained, “The minute we had kids it was like, ‘Where are you going? And how far?‘ And you start measuring — it’s like, ‘How many diapers did you change?’ and ‘Oh, you’re golfing? Oh, you got time to golf? How you at the gym all the time?’ That’s when all the measuring starts because you got this project.”
Obama hilariously and honestly added, “And guess what? Little kids, they’re terrorists. They are. They have demands. They don’t talk. They’re poor communicators. They cry all the time. They’re irrational. They’re needy. And you love them more than anything. And so you can’t blame them, right? … So you turn that ire on each other.”
She continued, “For 10 years while we’re trying to build our careers and you know, worrying about school and who’s doing what and what, I was like, ‘Argh, this isn’t even!’ And guess what? Marriage isn’t 50/50, ever. Ever. There’re times I’m 70, he’s 30; there’re times he’s 60, 40. But guess what? Ten years; we’ve been married 30. I would take 10 bad years over 30 — it’s just how you look at it. People give up — ‘Five years; I can’t take it.’”
When asked how she got over that frustrated mentality when she was in the weeds of it all, Obama explained, “You gotta know your person. Do you like him? I mean, you could be mad at him, but do you still look at him and go, ‘I’m not happy with you, but I respect you. I don’t agree with you, but you’re still a kind, smart person.’ The feelings are gonna change over time, right, you’re not gonna always be [breathless in awe and love], so the minute that goes, people wanna give up on it. But now you’re in the work. You’re in the work of it.”
ORDER A COPY OF ROB’S NEW BEST SELLING BOOK! Called “America’s Number ONE Gossip Columnist” by The National Enquirer. Rob ‘Naughty But Nice’ Shuter breaks celebrity news every day on his website NaughtyGossip.com where he delivers all the dish about the stars we love in his naughty but nice signature style. You can also catch him co-hosting and breaking celebrity news on Good Day New York, The Today Show, The Talk, Wendy Williams Show, CNN, Extra and Z100’s ‘Elvis Duran.’ Previously, Rob was the Huffington Post’s only celebrity columnist and the former executive editor of OK! Magazine. Rob has also hosted his own Saturday night talk show on Mark Cuban’s channel and his own daily morning show, ‘The Gossip Table,’ on VH1! Breaking some of the biggest entertainment stories, including Jamie Lynn Spears’s pregnancy news, Britney’s first post-meltdown interview, Eva Longoria’s wedding, and baby exclusives for Jessica Alba, Tori Spelling and Mathew McConaughey’s tots, Rob always knows where to find the best scoop. Before Rob was one of the world’s most successful entertainment reporters, he was a publicist working for Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys, P. Diddy, Jessica Simpson and Jon Bon Jovi! Now he is bringing all this experience to his new show on I HEART MEDIA in his unique cheeky way, that is always a pinch and never a punch!