Mrs. Robinson is coming to Washington! Michelle Obama's mother, Marian, who played a crucial role in looking after the Obamas' daughters during the campaign, will move into the White House with the rest of the family.
The first granny hasn't decided whether she will stay permanently. It will probably be a tough decision considering she still lives in the Chicago home where she raised Michelle.
If you're wondering whether Obama will be taking orders from his mother-in-law, you can at least know it won't be the other way around. During his post-election interview with 60 Minutes, Obama was asked whether Marian would be moving in. He said: "Well, I don't tell my mother-in-law what to do. But I'm not stupid. That's why I got elected president, man."
Ally Capellino
Miss Selfridge
Shiseido
Whatever Granny will cost taxpayers would have been spent on a nanny or two anyway - and I doubt she costs that much. WH living quarters have presidential friends and family members in and out all the time.
1better granny then a nanny
2i well i think that even with granny there will be a nanny, and i would like to know if this has ver been done before. like did "wuodro willsons brother crash in the pool house" lol
3Hopefully her presence there can help keep the girls grounded amongst the hundreds of "help" at the white house - be it secret service, assistants, nannies, cooks etc.
4i think it's a great idea. the children need lots of support right now and they are close to their grandma. with a move away from everything in their lives she will be a big comfort to them. i can't imagine anyone finding fault with this (other than obama, lol). those kids are what, 10 and 7? everything in their lives is different than it was a year ago except their family; at least let them have that.
5I think that shows great family values and commitment to the girls. Fantastic.
6but did fdr's nephuew rent out the base ment
and did jfk's girl friends ever get to spend the night:) see thats the question i want answered. it just seems unfair to monica to not at least let her stay in the lincon bed room. come to think of it. who was staying in the lincon bed room that got old abe to spend so much time in there, that they named it after him?
where are the freedom of information act forms when you need one.
7granny can stay when i get some answers!!!!
I'm down with granny, the family unit is the family unit tell her to pack her bags.
8I really can't see anybody having a (reasonable) issue with this. As long as they all get along, it will be good for the family.
9it is reasonable to want to know where monica keep spear clothes. probly in the lincon bed room. lol
10well here is my question if granny is moving in. dosen't that mean that obama has an unpaid old black lady taking care of his kids and dose that make obama an opressive racist? lol
11I agree with most that its a great idea!
12i believe president eisenhower's mother also lived in the white house, so there is precedent
13LOL m0re, are you toasted or something?
14A loving family member is much better for the girls. I am all for it.
15Why is this an issue? Who cares?
16As long as it isn't the unemployed brother-in-law, and his two children from a previous date. Wait, that's only happening at the UnDave household....
17I think it's fine. I really want to see the Obama girls have a good experience going from child to teen in the White house. That age is so difficult anyway, and I can't imagine living it under constant scrutiny. Any force that helps them make it through their dad's term is fine with me, and I think that having their grandma around is a great choice.
18Oh undave, I feel so sorry for you.
19You are very kind.
A motherinlaw IS immediate family.
20Cool, cool. I knew she wouldn't turn down being so close to the the kiddies and possibly living in the White House. I hope this helps Malia and Sasha.
21I think it's great.
22Sounds like a great idea!!!
23What a great example to set for people, actually...the extended family unit helping each other out.
24How nice! It sets a great example for working mothers/fathers everywhere. You need to rely on family members and the support system is vital to children's well-being.
25How do you get anymore immediate than a Grandmother???? Hypnoticmix said it best: "better a granny than a nanny"
26Worried about tax dollars? Nannies cost more than grannies who babysit for free anyway.
27Now I wish that the government would look into some kind of incentive for families to help out, they do it for everything else, and that would be something to strengthen the core of America.
28Why shouldn't she move in with them?? I'm sorry, a grandmother IS considered immediate family - check out bereavement leave policies and the like. She takes care of the kids, it's not like she's free-loading. I'd rather my mother move in with me than to hand my kids off to an unknown nanny!
29"a great example to set for people, actually...the extended family unit helping each other out."
I agree completely. Not only will it help keep the kids grounded, and provide support for Michelle as well, but I think it is a great example for the rest of America. Our elderly are living longer than ever, and I think that while many times they have special medical needs that require a nursing home or a live in nurse, it would benefit our society if more people had their grandparents/parents living with them for a bit.
When I was growing up, my friend had her grandpa living with her. He was so fun! I loved hearing about all of the things he had lived through (being a veteran of war, extreme poverty, etc.) He also would throw candy at us, which was awesome. My life was enriched because I knew him, and he wasn't even my relative! The more people are around to mentor kids, the better off the entire neighborhood is! God bless you "Grandpa" Haase.
30Now no one is going to get laid in that house.
31When did grandparents stop being an "immediate" family member? Many cultures, including many Americans, include grandparents as an integral part of the family.
32I know this will be unpopular. But unless g-ma has some sort of degree in child education, I don't want to foot the bill for her. The difference in them getting a nanny is the she/he will have to be certified and at least doing a 'job' in the white house. G-ma going in to care for the children is nice and I recommend this for families without means....but since we (as tax payers will be paying for this) I hope that she either gets the accreditation that we hold all our workers to or lives outside the white house and comes for visits. I shouldn't have to pay a non-wprker in the white house other than the first family!
33non-worker that is...
34BTW a mother-in-law IS NOT immediate family! She is extended as she is not part of the reason that the family was made...i.e. wife/husband....and therefore children... I know this seems odd due to the difference of family definitions...
35"How do you get anymore immediate than a Grandmother?"
Tawny is right, grandmothers are not immediate family.
36businessdictionary.com includes grandparents in immediate family. And anyway, she is Michelle's parent, thus immediate family by any definition.
37Tawny it isn't like she is going to be paid a salary. A certified child care worker would be paid a salary in addition to tax payers paying for room and board.
Janneth is right. She is Michelle's mother and therefore Michelle's immediate family. At my job, I'd get the same amount of bereavement time if my Grandmother died as I would if my Mother died. I get two days less for family like an aunt or brother in law.
38Where I still think this idea is fine, I think they mean the immediate family of the president, not his wife. That's what I think foxie and tawny are referring to. If it was Baracks mom (R.I.P) then it would be fine, but not Michelle's mom. Does that make sense? That said, I still think it is best for the girls for gma to be there. But I don't think the housekeepers should have to clean up after her or the cooks make special request food. Since she is having free rent, food, electricity already.
39Umm no that doesn't make sense. What difference does it make that it's Michelle's mom and not Barack's. Michelle is a member of the First Family.
40Oh please Michelle will take her mother who she's known for 45 years over a nanny. And they didn't say that Marian would be there for four years, just until the girls get settled. Stop makin an issue out of nothing.
41Um, why would I not be ok with her moving in? First of all its not my business, but anyways its better that the grandmother will be helping out rather than a nanny. But really, thats a family issue.
It just kinda bothers me how the Obamas are getting so much media attention about non-important things, like picking out a family dog and the grandmother moving in. just because Obama is the first president of color. I feel like the media is just treating him as a novelty, the latest media darling. Don't get me wrong, I would identify myself as person of color and I think Obama is a great person and future president. But when the media does have a tendency of indulging in hero-worship and then turning right around and attacking them and looking for any possible flaws(a la Britney Spears). Seriously, we should be more concerned with the economy, financial aid for college students, Social Security and healthcare and NOT about Grandma's child-rearing capabilities and hypoallergenic dogs.
42Franky, for the record, I am for her moving in. I was trying to defends the view of others. And if the way I explained it doesn't make sense to you, it never will.
43It is no big deal. She certainly won't be the first meber of extended family to reside there.
44I guess if he and his wife aren't going to raise the kids themselves, it's better a grandmother than a nanny.
45Love the idea!
46I'm glad she's living there. It will be great for the girls. (Although, I agree with some others that she's not immediate family of the president.)
47I can't imagine that adding one more person to the Obama family unit is going to cost that much. It's not like she requires her own separate staff. I'd be okay with it even if it did cost a fair bit, though - this is going to be so good for the girls. And Mrs. Robinson seems like a cool lady, plus she has the same first name as me!
48I don't see why we are even talking about this. It doesn't matter. We cannot dictate what the President does in his home. It's now his home and as long as he's not doing anything illegal in it, it's not our business. I was raised by my Grandma and I can honestly say that it's helped me understand the importance of family and values a lot more than many people I know.
49Its fine, as long as she doesnt bite reporters or I have to hear about granny updates from oprah and her minions.
50Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.