Michelle Obama Talks Parenting Boundaries and Sleep Training

On a recent episode of her 'IMO' podcast, Michelle Obama discussed parenting challenges with her brother Craig Robinson and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, focusing on the importance of setting and enforcing boundaries for children, particularly around screen time and social media use. Obama emphasized that parents must maintain their role as authority figures rather than friends and should consistently uphold rules for the well-being of their children. Robinson noted that explaining and standing by decisions is crucial as children will test limits. The episode also revisited Michelle and Barack Obama's disagreement over the Ferber Method for sleep training, which Barack supported and Michelle initially found emotionally difficult. They compromised by having Barack take the night shift, and the method ultimately proved effective for their daughters. The discussion highlights the complexities and difficult decisions inherent in modern parenting.