Playing house at the White House
Sasha and Malia Obama would be the youngest kids in the White House since Amy Carter. Could they handle the spotlight? Susan Ford has advice and a story to share
Young Tad Lincoln herded goats into a White House sitting room. Amy Carter famously brought a book to a state dinner.
And teen Susan Ford, in a mini-revolt, dodged the Secret Service for a brief taste of freedom on the streets of Washington.
(AP file)
Malia Obama turned 10 last week, and her sister Sasha is 7.
Should their father, Barack, win the election, they'd be the youngest kids in the White House since Amy Carter arrived at age 9.
They, too, would become the subjects of anecdotes that wind up in history books.
Their parents' choice of school -- public or private? -- would be debated. They could even find themselves, like Chelsea Clinton at 13, the subject of an unkind reference on ''Saturday Night Live'' to her looks.
But whether it's the Obama girls or the older children of John McCain -- 16-year-old Bridget is the youngest of his seven -- the next presidential progeny will also have a view of history in the making.
''Sure, maybe a few times I wished my father was just a congressman,'' Susan Ford Bales said. ''But in fact I wouldn't trade it for anything. The travels, the people you meet. From movie stars to heads of state. It was like, 'Oh my gosh, look who I'm meeting now!' ''
Her advice to the next president and his wife: ''Keep loving your children and keep being available to them.''
She recalled a meeting her dad was having with Henry Kissinger, then secretary of state.
''I walked in and said: 'Hi, Mr. Secretary. Dad, I need my allowance and Mom doesn't have any cash.' '' The leader of the free world obliged.
Jimmy Carter famously sent Amy to public school. The choice was again debated with Chelsea Clinton. Ultimately, Bill and Hillary Clinton chose an elite private school, Sidwell Friends, where tuition now runs about $27,000.
Malia and Sasha Obama attend the private University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where Michelle Obama is on the board. The Obamas haven't said where they would send their children should he win. ''I try not to be obsessive about it,'' Michelle Obama said, ''because we've got a lot of work before it's a reality.''
Thus far, the Obamas haven't been shy about including the girls in their public life, putting them on the stage for rallies.
Malia had an especially good answer when asked how she deals with the crowds: ''Those people aren't there to see me,'' she said, according to her mother. ''They just think I'm cute. So I just wave and smile, and then I'm out of there.''
AP