What’s living at the White House like for the president’s kids? No T-shirts at dinner for Barron Trump, Sasha Obama was scolded for opening her bedroom window, and forget about social media

Apr 28 , 2021

Sasha and Malia Obama, and Barron Trump, were probably unimpressed with living at the White House at times. Photos: Reuters, AFP

After living at New York’s Trump Tower with Donald and Melania, where he had a whole floor to himself, Barron might have found the White House restrictive

Michelle Obama opened up to Oprah Winfrey about White House limitations, while Barack said daughters Malia and Sasha were eager to head off to university

Kids may bemoan the firm fist of their parents’ rules, but add the strict protocols associated with being the child of a president, and you get an even tougher household. So what’s living in the White House really like for first children?

They can’t open windows

The White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington. Photo: AP

The first family is constantly surrounded by the US Secret Service, and even in their own home security is so tight that the first family is not allowed to help themselves to fresh air.

Michelle Obama opened up about the experience to Oprah Winfrey in 2016, recounting that when her youngest daughter Sasha once did so “there were calls … ‘Shut the window!’ It never opened again.”

In fact, the family living inside the famous home don’t even carry their own keys. While the Obamas were in office, their chief of staff kept a key, according to Esquire, but in general keys were not required due to security being on every door.

Decorations are limited

The Lower Cross Hall decorated with “snowball” arches, created from more than 6,000 ornaments, and snowmen lining the corridor in the White House during a preview of the 2016 holiday decor in November, 2016, in Washington. Photo: AP

Whereas first families can keep their residence inside the White House private quarters, certain areas of the grounds are technically public property. This means that kids can only go so far when it comes to expressing their creativity – and major remodelling work is believed to be a no-no.

For a child like Barron Trump, coming from his uber luxury space inside New York’s Trump Tower, where he had his own floor including a private kitchen, it may have been a difficult adjustment.