AT FIRST, lockdown seemed like a blessing in disguise. In between writing books, running a podcast, speaking engagements and making documentaries, the former first couple hadn’t been spending much quality time with their kids – especially as the girls had been away at college.
But then the shutters clanged shut and everyone had to stay at home. And the Obamas embraced it.
Yet after months of isolating together, they’ve proved one thing: they’re just like us. The novelty has well and truly worn off and they’re a bit fed up with one another.
“I think first our kids got a little sick of us, which was fine because we were pretty much sick of them,” Michelle (56) admits.
In a candid conversation about their life in lockdown, Michelle told talk show host Conan O’Brien that her daughters, Malia (22) and Sasha (19), are “no longer thrilled” about being cooped up under one roof.
At first they loved the long days at the family home in Washington DC. Michelle, Barack and the girls would retreat to their own spaces where they concentrated on their respective projects.
“The girls were still in classes in the spring and we’d be working and then doing a little exercise, and then come together in the evenings,” Michelle says. “We had these activities – we’d have cocktails and then we’d all work on puzzles and play games.
“We actually had some organised things too, like we had an art exhibit day where we all went off and did watercolour paintings and then we showed them [to each other] later.”
Denne historien er fra 8 October 2020-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 8 October 2020-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life