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Michelle Obama is every mom describing why she loves being an empty nester

The former first lady opened up about the perks of having the house to herself again.
/ Source: TODAY

As the mother of two college-age kids, Michelle Obama knows how hard the empty-nester years can be — for some people.

But for her, it’s been a breeze.

The former first lady paid a visit to “The Kelly Clarkson Show” Monday, and when asked who’s had it tougher back home since daughters Malia, 22, and Sasha, 19, moved out, she didn’t hesitate with her answer.

“Oh, my husband,” she said of former President Barack Obama. “He was weeping and ... he still is like, ‘They left me!’”

She was just as quick to add that he’s very much alone in that feeling.

“That’s because I spent all the time with them,” she explained of raising their girls. “He was president.”

So when it came time to send the girls off to college, she was ready for a break from her beloved children. “I was like, ‘Kick them out the door,’” she joked.

Obama Family Portrait
Former first lady Michelle Obama, Malia Obama, former President Barack Obama and Sasha Obama sit for a family portrait in the Oval Office on December 11, 2011 in Washington, D.C.Pete Souza / Getty Images

After all, while dad was busy being the commander in chief, she was busy facing the realities of a being a mother of two young women vying for her best belongings.

“It’s like, ‘Get out of my closet!’” she said of the all-too-common scene. “And he’s also a man, so they’re not borrowing his makeup. They’re not stealing his, you know. I can’t find anything with these little women in my house. They’re always sneaking into my room, and I’m like, ‘What are you doing? What are you taking? Put that back!’”

Of course, their empty nest was full again during the coronavirus pandemic, as Malia and Sasha (and Malia’s boyfriend) returned home for online classes and quarantine — and they returned to their borrowing ways, too.

“They don’t put things back,” the 57-year-old said. “And they don’t take his stuff, so he’s delighted.”

“I’m like, ‘When does school get back in session? When can they go back to those dorms?” the former first lady quipped, a moment Clarkson called “so relatable” and “so awesome."

But don’t let Obama’s playful tone fool you. As much as she likes her cosmetics and wardrobe to remain her own, she definitely appreciates seeing more of her daughters lately.

Last week, in an interview with TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager, Obama said, “I feel for them because Malia is a senior. This was her last year in college, and Sasha has essentially missed her second year in college. But for Barack and I, we have cherished this time."