Michelle Obama is currently sharing her thoughts on parenting, expressing concern that many parents are overly focused on keeping their children close.
She made her remarks during a recent episode of her podcast, IMO, which has had a challenging time attracting a consistent audience since it launched in March.
During the episode, Obama warned against the dangers of overparenting, suggesting that it can prevent children from learning important lessons through failures. “Some parents try to live through their children, and that stops them from making mistakes and experiencing failure,” she noted.
“I’ve raised you to think for yourselves and make your own judgments, but there comes a time when I have to step back,” Obama explained. “Everyone’s holding onto their kids tightly, but eventually, they’ll face the world, and mistakes are part of that process.”
She added, “I could let them make questionable choices while demonstrating my trust so they come back to discuss any failures.” Obama’s podcast, which she co-hosts with her brother Craig Robertson, debuted on March 12th.
The podcast started strong with an initial 335,000 views, but numbers have dwindled significantly in subsequent episodes, dropping from 252,000 views to only 62,000 for the latest upload. At its peak, it was ranked 34th on Spotify’s US podcast chart, but has since fallen out of the top 100.
In a separate podcast appearance on Jay Shetty’s show, Obama voiced her concerns about President Trump’s immigration policies, describing them as arbitrary and unsettling. She reflected on her own fears, sharing how the policies made her anxious about safety and belonging.
“It worries me, especially when I see people who could easily become targets,” she mentioned, recalling moments while driving in LA. “I think about those standing at bus stops or just going about their day.” Obama emphasized the vulnerabilities many face under current policies.
