At the 2025 SXSW Conference and Festival, Michelle Obama opened up about her experiences as a parent. The ceremonial groundbreaking for the Future of Transportation took place at the Austin Convention Center on March 13, 2025. In a heartfelt conversation with comedians Damon and Marlon Wayans, she shared her thoughts on discipline and the evolution of her parenting style, particularly with her daughters, Malia and Sasha.
During the discussion, which aired on a recent episode of her IMO podcast featuring her brother Craig Robinson, Obama recalled moments from her daughters’ childhood. She apologized for spanking Malia and Sasha on a handful of occasions. She soon learned that this punitive style of discipline was ineffective.
“I felt bad,” she shared, “This is like a three-, four-, five-year-old child and I’m ashamed that the only way I can communicate this to you is by hitting you on your behind.
At 26 and 23 years old respectively, Malia and Sasha have become young women leading lives of their own. Obama noted how her approach to parenting changed as she grew older. She experienced shame after hitting her kids, which led her to question what she was doing and change her behavior.
I felt kind of dumb,” she said, admitting now that she came to realize spanking wasn’t teaching the values she wanted to impart. Her experiences have radically shaped her perspective on contemporary parenting. She feels that many parents don’t know what the alternatives are, or feel like they can’t parent without using things like spanking.
You know, parents are just too scared and intimidated to make those kind of rules. And I think that’s just the challenge, I think, that we’re all engaged in this generation too,” Obama added.
Her unfiltered thoughts resonate with countless families who are trying to figure out how to discipline their children in an increasingly high-tech and low-touch world. Parents should listen to what Michelle Obama has to say. Her counsel leads them to discover more positive and powerful ways to discipline their kids without whipping them.
Ever since her time in the White House, the former First Lady’s parenting journey has been a subject of public fascination. She and Barack Obama were often seen together on the White House lawn, both of them engaged in the vigorous upbringing of their daughters. Champion of Conversational Communication FLOTUS Michelle Obama has been a powerful proponent of thoughtful and compassionate parenting approaches, leading families to embrace open communication.
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