Here's How Sasha and Malia Obama Went All Out For Their Final Night in the White House

Sasha and Malia Obama celebrated their final night in the White House like typical teenagers– with pizza, nuggets, and a sleepover with friends. Michelle Obama once shared the story of that memorable evening, offering a glimpse into their last moments in the iconic residence before moving out on Inauguration Day, in January 2017. Michelle recalled, “They had a sleepover...because my girls are so normal, they’re like, ‘Well, eight girls are gonna be sleeping here because it’s our last time, and we want pizza and we want nuggets.’ And it’s like, really?”

As per HuffPost, the incident highlights how Sasha and Malia balanced the grandeur of their lives with simple and relatable teenage experiences. During a Q&A at an American Institute of Architecture conference, Michelle reflected on raising her daughters in the public eye while living in the White House. She said she was "trying to turn those two little people into valued and valuable humans in the world." Despite the unique challenges of growing up in the nation’s most famous home, the Obamas focused on making sure their daughters had as much of a 'normal' childhood as possible.

Michelle opened up about her parenting philosophy, which focused on raising independent young women. While speaking on Melinda French Gates' podcast, Moments That Make Us, the former First Lady revealed, "I never felt my job was to create mini-mes or create people who were going to live out some brokenness in me or fill some hole or to be my friend. As my girls joke, I always said— my favorite line was, 'I'm not one of your little friends.'”

She added, “There were some lines drawn. I had to raise them to be stand-up young people on their own, especially as the daughters of a former president. But people are quick to cut a kid off if you don't show up right and you've got a name behind you. You have to come correct," as reported by People magazine. Living in the White House undoubtedly came with perks. Michelle’s daughters were surrounded by house help but Michele was keenly aware that their time there was temporary. 

She remarked, "They are watched. They had to learn how to balance the unwanted attention, but do it politely. To build their own lives in the spotlight and not be eaten up by it…But I was raising them thinking, 'You're not going to live here and with me, forever. So, I've got to hand you your life soon and let you manage it.'" Malia and Sasha were just 10 and 8 years old, respectively, when they moved into the White House in 2009. They spent eight years navigating their formative years while under a microscope.