--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've said this time and again: My…" description: "\"I've said this time and again: My greatest concern coming into the White House was making sure my girls came out whole and normal, and decent and kind,..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a3/michelle-obama-518_house_i-ve-said-this-time-and-again-my-greates_147431.jpg" --- # I've said this time and again: My greatest concern coming… ![“I've said this time and again: My greatest concern coming into the White House was making sure my girls came out whole and normal, and decent and kind, just like I would expect them to if we were living on the South Side of Chicago. And it takes work to keep White House life normal for the kids.” quote by Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a3/michelle-obama-518_house_i-ve-said-this-time-and-again-my-greates_147431.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a3/michelle-obama-518_house_i-ve-said-this-time-and-again-my-greates_147431.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a3/michelle-obama-518_house_i-ve-said-this-time-and-again-my-greates_147431.jpg) > “I've said this time and again: My greatest concern coming into the White House was making sure my girls came out whole and normal, and decent and kind, just like I would expect them to if we were living on the South Side of Chicago. And it takes work to keep White House life normal for the kids.” [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ensuring children’s normalcy and kindness in the White House requires effort and intentional work. **In simple terms:** Parenting in high‑profile life demands active nurturing. Key Takeaway Commit to active, loving parenting. Themes parenting public life normalcy kindness Mood determined hopeful Type political personal When to use this quote - politics - family life - mental health - education - social responsibility Key Concepts family dynamics public scrutiny role modeling Questions to Reflect On - How do you maintain normalcy for kids? - What values are most important to teach? A Different Perspective Public pressure can strain family life. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I came from a very normal, un-Hollywood background. My parents provided me with every sort of normal upbringing that they could.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-came-from-a-very-normal-un-hollywood-background-my-parents-provided/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“greatest concern is not for your health, or temporal welfare, but for the good of your soul. Though”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/greatest-concern-is-not-for-your-health-or-temporal-welfare-but-for/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [My greatest concern is that the emergence of this technology without the appropriate public attention and international controls could lead to an unstable arms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-eric-drexler/my-greatest-concern-is-that-the-emergence-of-this-technology-without/) [K. Eric Drexler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-eric-drexler/) > [My husband, my children and my home were the greatest concern to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyd-charisse/my-husband-my-children-and-my-home-were-the-greatest-concern-to-me/) [Cyd Charisse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyd-charisse/) > [“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/my-concern-is-not-whether-god-is-on-our-side-my-greatest-concern-is-2/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Climate change is my greatest concern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leilani-munter/climate-change-is-my-greatest-concern/) Leilani Munter > [My children and their happiness have always been my greatest concern.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-henderson/my-children-and-their-happiness-have-always-been-my-greatest-concern/) [Florence Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-henderson/) > [Our greatest concern is moving away from Christ as Lord.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wilkerson/our-greatest-concern-is-moving-away-from-christ-as-lord/) [David Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wilkerson/) > [...because I'm sure that as soon as things really get back to "normal," once our kids or grandkids grow up in a peaceful and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-brooks/because-i-m-sure-that-as-soon-as-things-really-get-back-to-normal/) [Max Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-brooks/) > [We were taught manners and we had to do our chores - Katie and I grew up as normal kids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-hudson/we-were-taught-manners-and-we-had-to-do-our-chores-katie-and-i-grew/) [Oliver Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-hudson/) > [Normal kids in their teens want to go and date girls and do mischievous things, your hormones are jumping around, but I stayed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grandmaster-flash/normal-kids-in-their-teens-want-to-go-and-date-girls-and-do/) [Grandmaster Flash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grandmaster-flash/) > [My parents were obsessed with us being normal kids, so I never knew movie stars. They didn't want us to be Hollywood brats.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-goldwyn/my-parents-were-obsessed-with-us-being-normal-kids-so-i-never-knew/) [Tony Goldwyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-goldwyn/) > [I got used to certain things that normal kids don't get used to, like, when my mother went into the kitchen for things other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariette-hartley/i-got-used-to-certain-things-that-normal-kids-don-t-get-used-to-like/) [Mariette Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariette-hartley/) > [My brother and I used to laugh and say, 'Normal kids went to day care, and we went to the gym.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-b-bickerstaff/my-brother-and-i-used-to-laugh-and-say-normal-kids-went-to-day-care/) [J. B. Bickerstaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-b-bickerstaff/) > [I was never happy, and neither were many of my friends. We were just normal kids that were not so excellent at what society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sung-jin-park/i-was-never-happy-and-neither-were-many-of-my-friends-we-were-just/) [Sung Jin Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sung-jin-park/) ## More by Michelle Obama > [It's hard to change adults, and it's hard to change it from a political position or a perceived political position.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/it-s-hard-to-change-adults-and-it-s-hard-to-change-it-from-a/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [ The president \[Barack Obama\] asked for a commitment of, I think, 100,000 jobs for veterans and military spouses over the next couple of years.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/the-president-barack-obama-asked-for-a-commitment-of-i-think-100-000/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [You work hard for what you want in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/you-work-hard-for-what-you-want-in-life/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We must once again come together and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this great country forward my husband,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-must-once-again-come-together-and-stand-together-for-the-man-we/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We're starting to see, as the economy improves, that the unemployment rate among veterans and military spouses - we're seeing some improvement in those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-starting-to-see-as-the-economy-improves-that-the-unemployment/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [There's so much going on in the healthcare system that makes it difficult for women to really have a strong economic hold if insurance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/there-s-so-much-going-on-in-the-healthcare-system-that-makes-it/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [In the 10 cities with the nation's highest obesity rates, the direct costs connected with obesity and obesity-related diseases are roughly $50 million per…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/in-the-10-cities-with-the-nation-s-highest-obesity-rates-the-direct/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [What I admire most about Hillary is that she never buckles under pressure. She never takes the easy way out. And Hillary Clinton has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/what-i-admire-most-about-hillary-is-that-she-never-buckles-under/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [A lot of young people think they're invincible, but the truth is young people are knuckleheads... Now young people can get insurance for as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/a-lot-of-young-people-think-they-re-invincible-but-the-truth-is-young/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/one-of-the-lessons-that-i-grew-up-with-was-to-always-stay-true-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman. But I am constantly thinking about my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-have-never-felt-more-confident-in-myself-more-clear-on-who-i-am-as/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [ We got a commitment that 3 million nurses are going to be trained to better identify these signs \[of PTSD\], because, you know, when… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-got-a-commitment-that-3-million-nurses-are-going-to-be-trained-to/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [We're our kids' first and best role models. So the first question is, what are you as a mom or a dad doing every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/we-re-our-kids-first-and-best-role-models-so-the-first-question-is/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I've always tried to make sure that what I do really connects with the broader agenda of what my husband is trying to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-ve-always-tried-to-make-sure-that-what-i-do-really-connects-with/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) > [I know from experience that if I truly want to leave a better world for my daughters, and all of our sons and daughters;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-obama/i-know-from-experience-that-if-i-truly-want-to-leave-a-better-world/) [Michelle Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) [Explore all 504 Michelle Obama quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-obama/) ## More House quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [One of the best moments of any Liars show is hearing the crowd squawk 'We're doomed! We're doomed!' on cue during 'We Fenced Other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/one-of-the-best-moments-of-any-liars-show-is-hearing-the-crowd-squawk/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Houses are like the human beings that inhabit them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/houses-are-like-the-human-beings-that-inhabit-them/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [The house has to serve comfort. The work of art is revolutionary; the house is conservative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adolf-loos/the-house-has-to-serve-comfort-the-work-of-art-is-revolutionary-the/) [Adolf Loos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adolf-loos/) > [I don't own designer clothes, or a sports car, or a huge house, but I am seeing the world, experiencing amazing things, and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roz-savage/i-don-t-own-designer-clothes-or-a-sports-car-or-a-huge-house-but-i-am/) [Roz Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roz-savage/) > [Then all this earth shines like one house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramana-maharshi/then-all-this-earth-shines-like-one-house/) [Ramana Maharshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramana-maharshi/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [She'd read once that if you ran into a bear in the woods you should avoid eye contact and you shouldn't run away, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-ursu/she-d-read-once-that-if-you-ran-into-a-bear-in-the-woods-you-should/) [Anne Ursu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-ursu/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [Perhaps the most important reason to be skeptical of government inflation numbers is that the government, like a fox campaigning to guard a hen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schiff/perhaps-the-most-important-reason-to-be-skeptical-of-government/) [Peter Schiff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schiff/) > [I didn't expect to be so comfortable handing my child off to a nanny without getting any of her information. As soon as she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-wong/i-didn-t-expect-to-be-so-comfortable-handing-my-child-off-to-a-nanny/) [Ali Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-wong/) > [I think of novels as houses. You live in them over the course of a long period, both as a reader and as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-krauss/i-think-of-novels-as-houses-you-live-in-them-over-the-course-of-a/) [Nicole Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-krauss/) > [Well this is aptly called a junket, for both of us. I have never been to a house of prostitution, but I understand that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/well-this-is-aptly-called-a-junket-for-both-of-us-i-have-never-been/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) Browse all 14,318 House quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've said this time and again: My greatest concern coming into the White House was making sure my girls came out whole and normal, and decent and kind, just like I would expect them to if we were living on the South Side of Chicago. 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