Michelle Obama tells Ellen DeGeneres the family is ‘happy’ to be together, safe

Former First Lady Michelle Obama told comedian and daytime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres on Tuesday she’s happy to have her family together and safe, joining Americans across the country who are staying home amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Michelle Obama said both of her daughters are home, partaking in online classes as schools have shut down. She said her husband, former President Barack Obama, is also at home with the family. 

“My condolences that the kids are home, because you were expressing how happy you were that they were gone,” DeGeneres joked during the phone call, according to the video she shared on Instagram. 

“I shouldn’t have boasted about that,” Michelle Obama responded. 

The former first lady, however, said having the family at home together has been a “good exercise in reminding us that we just don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have when times are bad.” 

“We can do with a lot less, and I think that’s an important lesson that I want my kids to understand,” she added. “Be grateful for what you have and be ready to share it when the time comes, because that’s really what it’s all about. We’re worried, now we’re just happy that we’re together and everybody is healthy and safe — who cares about the other stuff?” 

She also acknowledged the negative effects, noting that Americans will feel the economic hit of the mass shutdowns. 

“[We] have to be mindful about what we’re going to do to support those folks when this quarantine is over and people are looking at what’s left of their businesses,” Michelle Obama said. 

The former first family, like so many across the country, are also trying to sit down and have “real conversations” and “figure out how to keep ourselves occupied” without relying on the TV and computers, she said. 

“We’re just trying to keep a routine going,” she said, adding that there is a “little Netflix and chilling happening.”

Michelle Obama and DeGeneres both said they were also taking the time to regularly exercise — with the talk show host wagering a potential plank challenge. 

“I’m ready to challenge you at a plank pretty soon, I’m getting there,” DeGeneres said. 

“I’m gonna let you sit on that because you always seem pretty overly confident in your ability to best me in these physical matches,” Michelle Obama responded.