America’s Favorite First Family Is at Home Passing the Time Just Like Yours

The coronavirus is sending family members from coast to coast to their rooms, locking parents and children together to manage work, school, and everyday life in ways that require creativity and patience. America’s favorite first family, former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama along with daughters Mahlia and Sasha, are in self-quarantine.

“You know, we’re just trying to structure our days,” the former First Lady said. “Everybody’s home. The girls are back…colleges are now online. They’re off in their respective rooms, doing their online classes. And Barack, I don’t know where he is…he was on the phone on a conference call.”

As Ellen DeGeneres and the bestselling author chatted, Obama spoke about the ups and downs of this extraordinary time in the world.

“This is like no other time in history, particularly for our kids who are so used to being occupied and stimulated all the time,” she said. “There’s some good and bad that goes with it. I feel for all of the folks who are gonna suffer because of what’s going to happen with the economy, and we have to be mindful of what we’re going to do to support those folks.”

From His House to Yours

The former FLOTUS recently encouraged participation in the democratic process during her couch time, joining the country’s most popular pandemic disc jockey, D-J Nice for a voter registration drive. Nice hosted a virtual house party last weekend and hundreds of celebrities “dropped in”, including Obama. Days later, they teamed up for Nice’s second big virtual event.

“And, to think it all started in the kitchen, on the counter,” Nice mused during an interview with Oprah.

Nice began his virtual parties to pass the time during the pandemic.

One follower wrote, “Bro you made the world forget our problems and focus on our greatness. Thank you for blessing us all true.”

“Oprah said, “I think you really helped a lot of people not only feel a lot better, but it was the most hopeful, healing experience, I think, going on as a collective, virtual community in the United States.”

For a disc jockey who has been in the music industry for years, Nice responded, “I felt a bit overwhelmed. When you’re in the moment, you don’t realize you’re doing anything special, you’re just doing what feels good. I didn’t realize it was special…I had tears.”

Plans for a Plank

From places around the globe, whether kitchens or sofas, the goal for so many is to remain optimistic in the face of a formidable situation.

Obama observed, “It’s forced us to continue to sit down with each other, have real conversations, really ask questions and figure out how to keep ourselves occupied without just TV or computers. It’s a good exercise in reminding us that we just don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have. When times are bad, having each other, having your health…we can do with a lot less. And, I think that’s an important lesson that I want my kids to understand.”

The daytime talk show host invited the former First Lady to a challenge. DeGeneres suggested she and Obama plan a virtual plank competition, saying she has been working out while self-quarantining. Known for her intense workouts and toned arms, the Southside Chicago native quipped, “You always seem overly confident at besting me in these physical challenges.”

And, the stage is now set, perhaps, for the next big virtual event as the Favorite First Family and millions of other families hunker down during the COVID-19 pandemic.