9 Reasons the Obama Girls Are Like Military Kids

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Okay, so they probably don’t have a drawer full of chem lights in their house, a poncho liner (aka, woobie) slung across the couch, or a case of MREs in the garage (does the White House even have a garage?) but Sasha and Malia Obama really do have a lot in common with military kids.

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9 Ways Sasha and Malia are like military kids


9. Their dad (and mom!) frequently have to travel for work.

Their parents are gone A LOT. Anytime you see that the President or First Lady speaking somewhere outside of Washington, that’s a day that they’re not home with Sasha and Malia.

8. Both of their parents are under a lot of stress.

Okay, so neither of their parents have been deployed for months at a time, but with all the problems the President and the First Lady are tackling, it’s safe to bet that stress levels in the White House can run high.

7. They probably don’t know how to answer when people ask them where they’re from. (Chicago? Washington, D.C.? Hawaii?)

They spent their early days in Chicago, where their mom is from, but most of their years have now been spent on Pennsylvania Avenue. Their dad is from — well, we’re not going to get into all that — but he’s got relatives in Hawaii, Kenya and Indonesia. So when asked, “Where is your family from?” there’s just no telling how Sasha and Malia might answer — just like a military kid.

6. Their dad does a dangerous job.

Hopefully the Obama girls don’t spend a lot of time worrying about their father’s safety but, just like military kids, their dad has people around him who carry guns — because someone always has to look out for the bad guys.

Sasha and Malia Obama have plenty in common with military kids. Don't believe me? http://wp.me/p1d7d0-8rW

5. They had to beg to get a dog. And beg, and beg, and beg.

Actually, the bar to get a pet is lot lower for many military kids than it was for the First Daughters. Sasha and Malia were told that they’d get their dog only if their dad was elected President. (Getting that ‘A’ in Social Studies isn’t looking so tough anymore, is it MilKids?) But still, they had to choose a breed that would fit with with their unusual lifestyle — just like military kids.

4. Many of those countries on the map have personal significance for them — because their parents have been there.

When Sasha and Malia hear news reports about countries around the world, those reports probably mean a little more to them than to most kids their age — because their dad has been there or is working with people there — just like military kids.

3. It doesn’t surprise them to see people in uniform.

A soldier, sailor, airman or Marine in uniform is an unusual sight for most kids in civilian communities, but not for military kids, and not for Sasha and Malia. They see uniformed troops all the time in the White House.

2. They live in government housing.

Sure, The White House is a bit nicer than base housing, but Sasha and Malia probably don’t get to decorate their rooms any way they want, and they know that they won’t be living there forever. Also, they know that someday they won’t be able to just bring their kids back to show them their old rooms, not without calling in some favors, anyway.

1. They are spoiled with heroism.

Imagine the conversations around the Obama dinner table, the impressive guests who drop by the house to visit, the amazing people their parents get to tell them about. For Sasha and Malia, larger-than-life people and incredible stories are probably so common that they might take for granted that everyone gets to grow up with heroes — just like military kids.

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