Michelle Obama’s motherhood advice leaves Duchess Meghan speechless
Former US first lady Michelle Obama has shared her experiences with motherhood and parenting in an interview with Duchess Meghan.
The Duchess, who welcomed her firstborn Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in May, said she was left “somewhat speechless” when the questions she sent Obama for the Q&A feature on the September issue of British Vogue that she guest-edited were returned “as a thoughtful, reflective and beautifully curated narrative”.
Obama opened up about what she learned from raising her daughters Sasha and Malia. “Being a mother has been a masterclass in letting go,” Obama wrote.
“Try as we might, there’s only so much we can control. And, boy, have I tried – especially at first. As mothers, we just don’t want anything or anyone to hurt our babies. But life has other plans. Bruised knees, bumpy roads and broken hearts are part of the deal.”
Obama said she learned to allow her daughters to grow into the best versions of themselves. “Motherhood has taught me that, most of the time, my job is to give them the space to explore and develop into the people they want to be. Not who I want them to be or who I wish I was at that age, but who they are, deep inside,” she wrote.
“I need to be a safe and consistent place for them to land when they inevitably fail; and to show them, again and again, how to get up on their own.”
Obama also recalled what it was like to be a parent to infants, just as the Duchess and her husband Prince Harry are now with their three-month-old son.
“When Malia and Sasha were newborns, [husband] Barack and I could lose hours just watching them sleep,” the 55-year-old wrote.
“Don’t get me wrong, early parenthood is exhausting. I’m sure you know a thing or two about that these days. But there is something so magical about having a baby in the house … each moment holds its own little eternity. I’m so excited for you and Harry to experience that, Meghan. Savour it all.”
The Duchess guest-edited the special British Vogue issue with editor-in-chief Edward Enninful. It is the first time in the magazine’s history that a September issue has been co-edited.