Barack Obama may be the President of the United States for just a little longer, but for Sasha and Malia Obama, he's just Dad. The President has been very open about fatherhood over the years in speeches and interviews, from sharing personal stories about raising his two daughters to urging other dads to be the father he didn't have. Take a look at Obama's funniest and sweetest quotes on fatherhood, then check out some all the times he was impossibly cute with kids.
In June 2016, Barack Obama stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he talked about the girls' time in the White House. "They've handled it so well," he said. "They're smart and funny, but most importantly, they're kind."
Barack made a speech at an Indiana high school in June 2016, where he spoke about Malia's departure for college. "My daughter leaving me is just breaking my heart," he revealed. "If there are any parents here, I hope you can give me some pointers on how not to cry too much at the ceremony and embarrass her."
"Sasha and Malia, before our very eyes you're growing up to become two strong, smart, beautiful young women, just like your mom. And I'm so proud of you guys."
"I was asked if I would speak at her graduation and I said absolutely not because I'm gonna be sitting there with dark glasses sobbing. She's one of my best friends. . . . She's just a really smart, capable person. She's ready to make her own way."
"For many of us, our fathers show us by the example they set the kind of people they want us to become. Whether biological, foster, or adoptive, they teach us through the encouragement they give, the questions they answer, the limits they set, and the strength they show in the face of difficulty and hardship."
"Our kids are pretty smart. They understand that life won't always be perfect, that sometimes, the road gets rough, that even great parents don't get everything right. But more than anything, they just want us to be a part of their lives."
"As somebody who didn't grow up with a father in the home, I like having men come up to me saying, 'You know, I'm really glad you're a good father.' I like that maybe some little boy somewhere who doesn't have a dad in his house sees Michelle and the girls and me out somewhere and is going to carry that image in his head with him somewhere down the road."
"You just want them to win so bad. And when they actually run a play and it works — you're just ecstatic. And a couple of heartbreaking losses and you're feeling terrible. But they're wonderful."
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During the state dinner in March 2016, he got emotional when speaking about his daughters growing up so fast:
"When I was first elected to this office Malia was 10 and Sasha was just 7. They grow up too fast. This fall Malia heads off to college. . . . I’m starting to choke up. So I’m going to wind this — it was in my remarks — and I didn’t — I can’t do it. It’s hard.”
"What I've realized is that life doesn't count for much unless you're willing to do your small part to leave our children — all of our children — a better world. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father."
"You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we're talking about their friends and their parents, and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn't dawn on them that somehow their friends' parents would be treated differently. It doesn't make sense to them and frankly, that's the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective."
"After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, 'Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday!' And then Sasha added, 'Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up.' So it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective."
"As some of you may know, it's only a matter of time until Malia gets her learner’s permit. So I'm hoping to see one of those models that gets a top speed of 15 miles an hour, the ejector seat anytime boys are in the car."
"Malia and Sasha would often rather be watching American Idol or SpongeBob, but Michelle and I know that our first job, our first responsibility, is instilling a sense of learning, a sense of a love of learning in our kids. And so there are no shortcuts there; we have to do that job. And we can't just blame teachers and schools if we're not instilling that commitment, that dedication to learning, in our kids."
"In the end, that's what being a parent is all about — those precious moments with our children that fill us with pride and excitement for their future, the chances we have to set an example or offer a piece of advice, the opportunities to just be there and show them that we love them."
"Malia and Sasha and a bunch of my friends and Michelle had sort of like a roast, a little private roast; each one of them read something and Malia and Sasha had written out why I am such a wonderful dad. And they had this list, it was so sweet, and one of the items on Malia's list was, 'You are just the right amount of embarrassing.'"
"I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man."
"As fathers, we need to be involved in our children's lives not just when it's convenient or easy, and not just when they're doing well — but when it's difficult and thankless, and they're struggling. That is when they need us most."
