Being the child of the President of the United States can't be easy -- but the children in
the first families have no other option. Having a parent who's the head of the most powerful
country in the world comes with benefits, but it also comes with rules.
Living in the White House might sound glamorous and interesting, but in reality, it's basically
like living in a giant museum — one that comes with many rules. One of the most restricting
is that the presidential kids and grandkids — and, the entire family, really — are
not allowed to open the windows anywhere in the White House, or in any car they're in.
It might not sound like a big deal, but imagine not being able to get a breath of fresh air
whenever you want.
In fact, during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2015, Michelle
Obama said being able to open windows was one of the things she was most excited to
be able to do after moving out of the White House.
"I can't open my windows. I really can't. The window opens if I press it in the car,
everybody's like, 'Oh my god! What was that?'"
And during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the former first lady said that Sasha had
once opened her window in the house, saying,
"Sasha opened her window once. There were calls. 'Shut the window!' It never opened
again."
There are many controversies surrounding the Trump presidency, but one of the biggest has
always been the roles his adult children have taken on in his administration. President
Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump was given the role of special advisor to the president,
in which she takes on many unspecified tasks, but is said to have an influential position.
Her husband, Jared Kushner, was given the role of the White House Innovations Director
shortly after the president went into office.
The reason this is an issue for many is because there is a general rule that presidential
family members are not supposed to work in the White House. According to Business Insider,
Congress passed an anti-nepotism law in 1967, which, quote, "prohibits the president from
appointing a family member to work in the office or agency they oversee." However, Ivanka
isn't actually breaking the law, as it doesn't prevent children from serving as unpaid advisors
— which is exactly how she's classified at the White House.
"Thank you, good luck, and God bless."
Since the life of a presidential child is under so much scrutiny, it's not surprising
that even their schooling is controlled. While it's not a hard and fast rule, presidential
children are generally expected to attend private schools over public schools. This
isn't just because of the idea that expensive private schools offer a better education — it
also has to do with safety and security. As Alia Wong pointed out in the Atlantic in 2016,
a busy politician might feel more comfortable putting their kids in a, quote, "more secure
and customized education environment," especially considering the public exposure that comes
with a different type of school.
Still, it's a rule that can be broken, and once was. In 1977, when President Jimmy Carter
was in office, he made sure to enroll his 9-year-old daughter, Amy, in a public school
in Washington, D.C. where, as a white girl, she was in the minority. As Wong noted, Carter
did this because, during his presidential campaign, he stood up against the idea that
private schools are thought to be better than public schools.
When your parent is the president of the United States, that means your every move is being
watched, and not only by the curious public eye. Like their parents, even former presidential
kids must always be accompanied by Secret Service agents... at least until they are
16 years old. According to ABC News, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001,
Congress ended lifetime security details for former presidents, cutting off Secret Service
protection 10 years after a president leaves office. But when President Barack Obama was
in office, he signed a repeal.
The act didn't just offer more protection for former presidents, but also for former
first ladies. The act also declared that agents had to protect the children of former presidents
until they turned 16 years old. After that age, they don't have to be followed around
by an agent. But if families don't want the protection at all, they can choose to decline
it.
One guideline that presidential families are expected to follow is the tradition of getting
a presidential pet. The Obamas had their dogs, Bo and Sunny, and President George W. Bush
also had a dog named Spot. Getting a pet isn't a rule that the family has to follow, but
it is a time-honored tradition that they're expected to go along with. It began with Thomas
Jefferson, who had a mockingbird and some bear cubs.
Ed Lengel, chief historian at the White House Historical Association, told CNN that the
pets "soften their image" and "broadens their appeal." He added,
"They help create an atmosphere of the White House as a family, a lived-in place and not
just a stiff museum, but a place where a family lives and plays and enjoys each other's company."
President Donald Trump is the first president since Jefferson to break with this tradition,
as he does not have a presidential pet.
Although Congress' anti-nepotism law means presidential kids shouldn't have official
roles in the administration, they are still expected to take part in some of the events
that go on at the White House. The president and the first lady are expected to take part
in many annual events that get the Washington community involved, mainly out of tradition,
and the presidential children are supposed to be there as well.
One example is the White House Easter Egg Roll, an event that has been around since
1878. Every February, there is a public lottery, and the winners get to go to the event. The
White House Easter Egg Roll takes place on Easter Monday each year, and consists of several
family-friendly activities. In April 2018, when Melania Trump hosted the 140th Easter
Egg Roll, Donald Trump Jr., and Barron, and Tiffany Trump were also present.
While the first family does get to redecorate the White House to their own tastes, there
are limits to what they can and cannot change. The families have to be careful to preserve
historic features of the residence, and some areas, such as the Lincoln Room, are completely
off-limits. After winning the 2016 election, Donald Trump offered to build a $100 million
ballroom in the White House, but the Obama administration rejected the idea.
"I have opinions." "She’s got a few views."
Kate Andersen Brower, author of First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First
Ladies, told ABC News,
"Some parts are essentially historic rooms and belong to the American people, not to
the families who live there."
This means that, while presidential kids can decorate their bedrooms and hang up posters,
they're probably not going to be allowed to do a full remodel of their private space or
install a personal hot tub.
Attending formal dinners puts presidential kids in the public eye, and their every action
is scrutinized. As a child, first daughter Amy Carter was criticized for showing up to
a state dinner with books to keep her entertained. Presidential kids have to be dressed up and
on their best behavior for such functions, if only to keep the critics at bay. Historian
Edward Lengel told the Washington Post,
"That's one of the reasons that the Clintons and the Obamas have tried to keep their kids
out of those official functions as much as they possibly can, because there is a pretty
strict code of decorum and behavior that's expected. They still have to wear nice clothes
— they can't come to a formal dinner wearing a Snoopy shirt or something. And they have
to eat carefully, in a certain way. They have to be polite and shake hands."
If you're a kid living in the White House, sneaking out is next to impossible. Teenagers
across the country might be able to sneak in and out of windows without detection, but
remember that the first family isn't even allowed to open windows. Even if a rebellious
presidential kid does manage to slip past their Secret Service detail, they wouldn't
be able to get back in the house without anyone noticing since they don't carry keys to the
White House.
The doors also automatically lock, which has led to at least two presidents, Barack Obama
and Gerald Ford, accidentally getting locked out of the White House. In Ford's case, he
went to let his dog out at night and then couldn't access the White House elevator to
get to his room. Obama had returned home early from a trip and couldn't get into the Oval
Office.
Presidential kids might not be able to leave the house without anyone knowing, but there
is one place they can sneak off to for some privacy: the roof. Jenna Bush has admitted
to stealing a smooch from her now-husband while she lived at the White House when her
father, George W. Bush, was president.
Being part of the first family comes with some perks, like getting presents from visiting
dignitaries and other guests. Unfortunately, many gifts to the first family are considered
government property.
According to Bloomberg, the limit is $390. If a member of the first family wants to keep
a gift above that price point, they have to pay for it at market value. That means Hilary
Clinton had to shell out nearly $1,000 for a black pearl necklace given to her by Myanmar,
and George W. Bush paid $14,000 for a shotgun.
Sasha and Malia Obama weren't allowed to keep Adidas swag given to them by the German chancellor,
valued at $557. The family also couldn't hold on to autographed national soccer team jerseys
from Argentina valued at $1,700.
While living in the White House might sound like the lap of luxury, it's not exactly like
residing in a palace where all of your whims are met. According to the website for the
White House Museum, the White House employs five full-time chefs, but the president's
kids can't dine on caviar and expensive cuts of meat every day — at least, not without
their parents' permission. Presidential kids might stay at the White House rent-free, but
the first family is actually responsible for footing their own food bills, as Michelle
Obama confirmed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2018.
While it's safe to assume that the president's kids don't have to pay for their meals, their
parents probably don't give them an unlimited budget for junk food and candy. Not that the
presidential kids shop for food themselves — as Obama explained, the first family doesn't
actually go to the supermarket. Instead, the kitchen staff whips up the food, then sends
the president the bill.
Social media is a fairly new technological development, which might be why there are
no official rules about the presidential kids using it. That being said, we don't typically
see younger presidential kids on social media, and it's easy to see why. Presidential kids
are already in the public eye, and social media would only attract more attention. So
while adult children of presidents may choose to cultivate a public image on social media,
it's doubtful that we'll see any minor presidential kids become social media influencers anytime
soon.
For example, in 2018, Melania Trump said in a speech that the then 12-year-old Barron
Trump — the only Trump kid still living at home — didn't have any social media accounts.
And in 2016, Barack Obama revealed that his then 15-year-old daughter Sasha Obama was
on Twitter, although the account wasn't public. The Washington Post reported at the time that
it was likely both Sasha and Malia Obama were on multiple social media platforms privately,
but that they had a dedicated staffer monitoring their activity.
"Michelle and I try to emphasize to them that they don't want to be on TMZ."
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