Ask Your Kid The Tough Questions with Angie Martinez

Summary

IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson Episode: Ask Your Kid The Tough Questions with Angie Martinez Release Date: June 18, 2025

In this insightful episode of IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson, hosted by Higher Ground, Michelle and her brother Craig delve into the complexities of parenting, particularly focusing on guiding children through societal pressures and toxic masculinity. Joined by special guest Angie Martinez, the trio offers practical advice, heartfelt anecdotes, and ample laughter, creating a space for listeners to reflect and feel empowered in their parenting journey.

---

1. Parenting Challenges and Realizations

Michelle Obama opens the conversation by sharing the intense anxieties she faced as a new mother:

"[00:00] Michelle Obama: The one thing that pissed me off about parenting is, like, when I got pregnant, nobody told me, when my son was a baby, I would look at his chest to see if he was still breathing."

Craig Robinson echoes her sentiments, emphasizing the perpetual nature of parenting:

"[00:10] Craig Robinson: I have somebody to work forever and ever. Amen."

They candidly discuss the unending responsibilities of parenting, highlighting that it requires resilience and preparation:

"[00:27] Michelle Obama: Care how old is different forever."

2. Reflecting on Their Parents' Approach

Angie Martinez steers the conversation towards the influence of their own parents on their parenting styles. Craig recalls how their parents openly discussed their strengths and weaknesses, providing context for their own parenting principles:

"[01:29] Craig Robinson: ...they gave us context to how they were parented, what they thought their parents got right and wrong."

Angie shares a memorable lesson from Michelle's mother about humility in parenting:

"[02:25] Angie Martinez: ...mom saying on more than one occasion, hey, look, this is my first time being a parent, and I'm not sure if I'm doing it right."

This transparency fosters a healthier, more relatable environment for their children, teaching them that parents are also learning and growing.

3. Changing Self Based on Peers

The discussion shifts to self-identity during youth and the impact of peer influence. Craig reminisces about his tendency to adapt his behavior to fit in:

"[04:48] Craig Robinson: ...there were a whole bunch of versions of me when I was young."

Michelle adds to this by recounting her own experiences with peer pressure:

"[08:38] Michelle Obama: ...I took a lit cigarette and I held it and didn't puff it."

They emphasize the importance of authenticity and the challenges of maintaining one's true self amidst external pressures.

4. Introducing the Guest and the Core Question

Angie Martinez introduces their guest, Jessica, who poses a pressing concern about her son grappling with toxic masculinity among his football-playing peers:

"[21:52] Jessica: ...it seems like a verbal competition for who can be the toughest and most callous in the group."

Jessica fears her son's environment is cultivating unhealthy notions of masculinity, contrasting sharply with the kind, empathetic boy she knows at home.

5. Addressing Toxic Masculinity in Young Men

Michelle and Craig delve into the societal factors contributing to the isolation and pressure young men face today. Michelle highlights the impact of technology and social media:

"[24:01] Michelle Obama: ...social media and online and AI and all the things that are inside versus outside..."

Craig echoes these concerns, noting the rise of loneliness among young men and the importance of fostering genuine human connections:

"[23:17] Craig Robinson: ...more young men feel isolated. They feel they're feeling alone."

6. Strategies for Parents: Empathy and Guidance

The siblings propose strategic approaches for parents to help their sons navigate these challenges:

• Empathy and Understanding: Michelle underscores the need for empathy, encouraging parents to see life through their children's eyes without overreacting.

  "[28:07] Michelle Obama: ...sometimes it takes a little. They gotta go on a little path."

• Setting Values Early: Craig emphasizes the importance of instilling strong values from a young age, modeling desired behaviors, and allowing children to learn from their own experiences.

  "[46:30] Craig Robinson: ...set the values right. And you've gotta be modeling."

• Encouraging Open Communication: Both advocate for creating an environment where children feel comfortable discussing their experiences and values without fear of judgment or helicoptering.

  "[28:02] Michelle Obama: ...communication is key."

7. Practical Tools for Navigating Toxic Masculinity

To aid Jessica, Michelle and Craig offer actionable advice:

• Ask Guiding Questions: Instead of dictating answers, parents should encourage their children to think critically about their relationships and behaviors.

  "[40:49] Michelle Obama: ...present them with situations where they have to figure out the answer, and you guide them through it."

• Model Resilience and Compassion: Demonstrating resilience and kindness in their own lives teaches children to prioritize empathy over toughness.

  "[31:05] Michelle Obama: ...nothing feels better than being a parent and maybe not even being sure, oh, my God, can they handle this?"

• Trust the Process: Allowing children to make mistakes and learn from them fosters independence and self-confidence.

  "[48:30] Craig Robinson: ...you got to think about that before you even have the baby."

8. Concluding Remarks

As the episode wraps up, Michelle and Craig reflect on the profound fulfillment derived from witnessing their children grow and thrive independently:

"[38:58] Michelle Obama: There's nothing more fulfilling than watching your child be able to do something on their own and handle a situation."

They reinforce the fundamental principle that love, coupled with trust and guidance, equips children to navigate life's inevitable challenges.

---

Key Takeaways:

• Transparent Parenting: Being open about one's own strengths and weaknesses fosters a trusting and authentic relationship with children.

• Empathy Over Control: Understanding and empathizing with children's experiences helps them navigate societal pressures without feeling stifled.

• Modeling Behavior: Parents serve as primary role models; demonstrating resilience, compassion, and authenticity teaches children to embody these traits.

• Encouraging Independence: Allowing children to make their own decisions and learn from mistakes builds confidence and prepares them for real-world challenges.

This episode of IMO offers a heartfelt exploration of modern parenting challenges, especially regarding toxic masculinity, and provides listeners with compassionate strategies to support their children in becoming well-rounded, empathetic individuals.

Transcript

[Michelle Obama]

The one thing that pissed me off about parenting is, like, when I got pregnant, nobody told me, when my son was a baby, I would look at his chest to see if he was still breathing. I'd go in the room, and I.

[Craig Robinson]

Would do that for weeks.

[Michelle Obama]

And then I said, okay, I can't sleep. When does this part stop? And the day that I realized, oh, my gosh, this never stops, ever, I was furious. And nobody told me that, like, this.

[Craig Robinson]

Is a big deal, like, forever. I have somebody to work forever and ever. Amen. As I say, you know, I don't.

[Michelle Obama]

Care how old is different forever.

[Craig Robinson]

And then they'll have grandkids and you'll feel the same way. So it just goes on. It's torturous. It's really torturous. So we gotta think about this. Cause parenting is for. You know, it ain't for everybody. It ain't for suckers. It's not for suckers. You gotta be tough. You gotta. You know, you gotta be. And so we have to prepare. Jessica has to prepare her son for that life. This episode is brought to you by Pine Sol and Chase Home Lending.

[Angie Martinez]

Hey, little girl.

[Craig Robinson]

Craig.

[Michelle Obama]

Malcolm.

[Angie Martinez]

How are you?

[Craig Robinson]

What's going on, dude?

[Angie Martinez]

Oh, man. Just enjoying sitting here next to you.

[Craig Robinson]

I know. I love my time with you.

[Angie Martinez]

I know. This is great.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. This is the whole reason for doing this. I get to see you. What? What? What? You got something going on? What's on your mind?

[Angie Martinez]

I have so much good stuff to talk about today. So, growing up, do you remember mom and dad ever talking about parenting?

[Craig Robinson]

That's a good question. I remember them talking about their parents. Right. What went right in their parents. Parenting and what went wrong. I mean, if you. One of the beautiful things about mom and dad and mom, more so was that she was very upfront with us about her strengths, but also her weaknesses. And she talked to us about everything and tried to put her parenting lessons in some context for us, you know, so that's to say that they gave us context to how they were parented, what they thought their parents got right and wrong. So that helped us understand their why with us, which helped us understand their. Their principles of parenting.

[Angie Martinez]

Yeah. Yeah. What I remember so distinctly is mom saying on more than one occasion, hey, look, this is my first time being a parent, and I'm not sure if I'm doing it right.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Angie Martinez]

And that always resonated with me. And while that wasn't them sort of talking about parenting to each other, you know, parenting us to each other, it was a look behind the curtain of, oh, they're just regular folks, too, trying to figure it out. And I always remember mom saying that before she made any kind of decision on punishment, she would count to 10. You remember that?

[Craig Robinson]

Well, I didn't get punished that much.

[Angie Martinez]

Yeah, well, neither did I, but we got punished. We got a couple of spankings.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Angie Martinez]

And as a future parent, the grace to be able to say, well, I'm not sure how this works. And I think that makes you a better parent when you come into the game knowing that you're not an expert at this.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, and knowing that your kids don't need you to be an expert on it. You know, that was some of the wisdom that they understood, was that showing your flaws to your children, that's not always a bad thing. It's okay to say that you're afraid or that you don't know or that you're not sure. And to make them a part of a bigger conversation. And I think so many parents feel like they gotta show up perfectly for their kids or else they won't get the respect or, you know, they won't have the authority. I don't know what it is, but mom and dad did a beautiful job of making themselves plain to us, like, not just being our parents, but being, as you put human beings.

[Angie Martinez]

Right.

[Craig Robinson]

And I think mom and dad modeled that for us in a really powerful way.

[Angie Martinez]

No, I absolutely agree. But before we bring out our guest here, I have one more question that I was thinking about when I was thinking about this episode. Do you remember ever changing who you were based on what your friends were doing or wanted to do?

[Craig Robinson]

Look, there were a whole bunch of versions of me when I was young. I think. I think there was the smart version, you know, the go to school, get good grades, 11, to have A's version of yourself, the person who likes to read. And then there's the you who has to get to school safely, who has to play in the neighborhood, who has to, you know, show up with kids. In our neighborhood, kids were, you know, from every kind of. I shouldn't say every kind of background. We were same race, same socioeconomic status. But not everybody didn't have the same thing, and they didn't have the same ability. And when you grow up in the hood, you. You know, when you grow up in the neighborhood, look, if you talk a certain way, if you show off in a certain way, if you brag about yourself, if you somehow make somebody else feel intimidated or lesser than intentionally or unintentionally, you're in a fight, right? Are you gonna have a hard time meshing with the folks? So I know I went through a period where I was just cursing more, you know, and I miss being, you know, we went day camp, and that wasn't me, but it just became me outside of the home where I was just like, mf, blah, blah. I mean, I really just got into just like, this is how you communicate. And I must have been like 10, because this was like. I remember when it dawned on me how bad it had gotten because we were at Rainbow Beach Day Camp. We went to this public day camp every summer. And it was like the third year. I'd always gotten camper of the year in my age group. And this last year, I didn't get it.

[Angie Martinez]

Notice she said she always got camper.

[Craig Robinson]

Of the year, which meant that you were helpful and you were ten of you followed the rules, you got along with others, and, you know, we prided ourselves on that.

[Angie Martinez]

Yes, we did.

[Craig Robinson]

And at the awards banquet where the parents came, I didn't get camper of the year. And I had been doing all the same things. And I went up to the. I didn't really come up and go, what happened, Coach? But she came up to me, our camp head, and said, you know, you would have gotten it this year, but you were just cursing so much. And I was like, oh, wow. My cursing affected my award status. So that's the long way of saying that. Yeah, I do think that I changed. I tried to get a little more, you know, a little less good girl and a little more just sort of. And that was outside of my character.

[Angie Martinez]

It's kind of completely outside. And so much so. I didn't know that you were.

[Craig Robinson]

Because I wasn't doing it at home. I wasn't coming home with my potty mouth. I was leaving that on the bus.

[Angie Martinez]

We weren't in the same age group, so.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right.

[Angie Martinez]

You know, we did. We. I never heard that.

[Craig Robinson]

What about you? Have you ever changed yourself?

[Angie Martinez]

I remember this clearly. I remember going to play cards. I was in seventh, eighth grade, going to play cards over Brian Williams house. And Brian Williams is probably out there somewhere. And everybody was smoking cigarettes. Everybody was smoking cigarettes.

[Craig Robinson]

What grade was this? I don't remember this.

[Angie Martinez]

This is like seventh or eighth grade. I mean, I wasn't in high school. And I remember everybody smoking. They're like, craig, you want cigarette? And I was like, yeah. And I took a lit cigarette and I held it and didn't puff it. And I went home and I was like, yeah, I was over Brian's house, and dad was like, you guys smoking cigarettes? Huh? And I was like, how did he know?

[Craig Robinson]

It's like some jujitsu parenting stuff.

[Angie Martinez]

He knew because we were in a room full of cigarette smoke, so I must have smelled like cigarette smoke.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. That's why kids are stupid.

[Angie Martinez]

That's why kids are dumb.

[Craig Robinson]

They think their parents are magical. And it's like, well, you got lie written all over you.

[Angie Martinez]

I know, I know, I know. And I said, no, I wasn't smoking. I held a cigarette, but I wasn't smoking. And he said, okay. And the fact that he just believed what I said could have worked in either way. I could have said, I can bamboozle this guy. But I was so disappointed that he was disappointed that I turned into Honest John.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, that was my nickname for you, hj. Cause you would confess to stuff that no one needed to know you did.

[Angie Martinez]

I know.

[Craig Robinson]

And I just. Your guilty soul. I'd be like, what'd you tell them for? They wouldn't know. I started calling you HJ from there on.

[Angie Martinez]

You did. Yes, you did.

[Craig Robinson]

But that's good. That's why, you know, I mean, whatever. Balance. As a grown man out in the world, I can say this from the bottom of my heart, that you are one of the most decent men I know. And I think that. That, you know, a lot of that is a testament to that delicate balance that mom and dad had to strike as parents. With a black man in the world, you know, that's a complicated business, and that's a. Well, we're gonna talk about men in the world today.

[Angie Martinez]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, that means a lot. And before I get all choked up, I'm gonna introduce our guest. And I can't tell you how excited I am for this conversation. She's a director, a writer, a podcast host in her own right, a hall of famer in the broadcast world. And I understand now that she's a pretty decent golfer. And that's what I want to talk about. And, of course, she's a mother. We have coming with us today, Angie Martinez.

[Jessica]

Angie.

[Michelle Obama]

Like, this is my c. You come on in.

[Angie Martinez]

I'm on now.

[Michelle Obama]

So happy to be here.

[Craig Robinson]

Thank you for being here.

[Michelle Obama]

Are you kidding? Great to have you here for anything. Good to see you.

[Angie Martinez]

Hey, have a seat.

[Craig Robinson]

Join us at the. The Knights of the Round Table. Cuz we're all in Blackish. Ish. We got some.

[Michelle Obama]

This is a vibe in here.

[Craig Robinson]

It's a vibe. It's vibey Vibe. Got a little. Our little Fireplace going.

[Angie Martinez]

But anyway, well, listen, I'm new at this game, and you're a veteran.

[Michelle Obama]

The podcasting game, the interviewing game.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, ok. The whole thing.

[Angie Martinez]

So I'm interested in hearing the hardest, most difficult interview you've ever had.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, my goodness. That's a very hard question. It's an abundance. I've been doing this since I'm 18 years old.

[Craig Robinson]

And you're only 27.

[Michelle Obama]

Exactly. Some of those nine years, I have been. No, no, I have. Over 30 years. And when I started, hip hop was like coming of age at the same time, I was. So every artist was in New York. I was the spot in New York to do interviews. So I'm doing two a day. And these are not like, this is Jay Z and Mary J. Blige and Nas and Wu Tang. This is the cream of the car. So it's every day for all those years. Now I'm a little more particular. I feel like I want to talk to people that I have either something to offer them or they have something to offer me or our audience. And also just I try to balance my life a little different now, but there's just so many, is the point. Some of them are hard, some of them are sad, Some of them are disappointing. You know, I just try to see truth in people.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And sometimes it's some little artists that I was like, who? What? And then they surprised me with some beautiful story about their childhood or some.

[Craig Robinson]

Level of insight that they have that you wouldn't imagine, that you wouldn't really know.

[Michelle Obama]

So it's really hard to say hardest.

[Angie Martinez]

That's why I like podcasting. To me, because it feels a little looser. It feels like a real discussion. I'm having a blast. This. This has opened a new chapter for me. So I'm having an absolute blast.

[Michelle Obama]

Anytime you open up a new skill.

[Craig Robinson]

Set, too, it's a good thing.

[Michelle Obama]

It's like so much wonder.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, it's like picking up golf. It's the same thing. Yeah. It's like. It's a new muscle.

[Angie Martinez]

This episode of IMO is sponsored by Chase Home Lending, helping you navigate the journey to your new home with confidence. Chase Home Lending understands that buying a home can feel overwhelming, especially when balancing career and family demands. They're committed to supporting you every step of the way, offering personalized guidance and flexible solutions to fit your unique needs. Needs. This reminds me of the story when my wife, Kelly, bought her first place before we got married. You know, once she decided to buy a place, we knew that that was stressful. Enough on its own. Then came the actual execution of the idea. We talked about the stress of the size of the transaction, the money needed for the down payment, but just as important was gathering all the documents needed by the bank. It didn't have to be that stressful. Whether you're a first time home buyer or looking to upgrade, Chase's home lending experts and smart digital tools can guide you through the process, providing necessary support for informed decision making. Dreaming of a home Connect with a Home lending [e-mail] start to get started member fdic=housing opportunity=equal opportunity this episode of Imo is brought to you by Theraflu. Hey, it's Craig Robinson here and let me tell you, being sick is no joke. But you know what's even tougher? Feeling like you can't take the time to rest and recover because you've got bills to pay or a job to keep. You know, being a coach, even though I was afforded paid sick time, it was the type of job that you really try and and muscle through for your team. And I have done that. It made me realize though, that it is tough for folks who don't have the benefit of paid sick time. It's not only tough on the individual and their families, it's also tough on your coworkers. Maybe you, like so many Americans, have felt that stress too, wondering what your boss will think or if your paycheck will take a hit. That's why I'm proud to talk about what theraflu is doing with their Right to Rest and Recover campaign. For the past four years, they've been championing the Right to paid sick time for everyone. I love that theraflu is making this a priority. Learn more or help someone apply for the [e-mail] right to recover this episode of Imo is brought to you by Cologuard, a non invasive colon cancer screening test. As it stands, colon cancer is on the rise in people under 50, which is why the American Cancer Society recommends that if you're at average risk, you begin screening at 45. Even if you live a healthy lifestyle and don't have symptoms, no one is at low risk for colon cancer. We want to make sure our listeners know that colon cancer can be treatable in nine out of 10. But the key here is that it has to be caught early. With the Cologuard test, you can take control of your colon cancer screening through a prescription based test with none of the prep that's required of a colonoscopy. Not only is the Cologuard test effective for colon cancer screening, but it can even detect pre cancer. And in addition to its convenience, the cologuard test is also affordable. Most insured patients find they pay nothing out of pocket with zero downtime, no special preparation, and a screening test that's delivered right to your door. Don't let your health take a backseat. So if you're 45 or older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer with the cologuard test. You can also request a cologuard prescription [e-mail] podcast. The Cologuard test is intended to screen adults 45 and older at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use a cologuard test if you have adenomas, have inflammatory bowel disease and certain hereditary syndromes, or a personal or family history of colorectal cancer. The cologuard test is not a replacement for colonoscopy in high risk patients. Cologuard test performance in adults ages 45 to 49 is estimated based on a large clinical study of patients 50 and older. False positives and false negatives can occur. Cologuard is available by prescription only.

[Craig Robinson]

And you know, speaking of, you know, new stories and new chapters, not new, but, you know, everybody talks to you about the work you do, but you got a life too. How is, how is life?

[Michelle Obama]

How is life?

[Craig Robinson]

How is family? How are you? How are your people?

[Michelle Obama]

My people are good. I think I have turned the corner where life is really important to me. Whereas work used to be so important. I always love my family. I have same best friends from since third grade. I have, I cherish friendships and those things, but I don't know that I put so much time, effort into them as I would work. My youngest is 18, getting ready to leave. My oldest is 21 who's like finding his way. And so it gives me permission to kind of like, well, what do you want now?

[Craig Robinson]

Isn't that permission amazing at least? I'm sorry, I don't know. As a woman, as a mother.

[Angie Martinez]

Yes.

[Craig Robinson]

I mean, and nobody could give it to you.

[Michelle Obama]

You have to give it to yourself.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right. That's right. You have to give it to yourself. They've been launched. I really feel like at 60, this is the first time that all my decisions are for me. I don't think that there's been a point in life, my life where at least after being married and having kids, that my choices were always somehow wrapped up in what they needed.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah. Or family or.

[Craig Robinson]

And this is a period of freedom. I'm sure you're.

[Michelle Obama]

I think I'm getting to that, too. Yeah, I'm getting to that too. And I'm just appreciative of, like, I've had some friends recently with some health issues and some loss. And, you know, whenever you're, like, confronted with mortality, you kind of, like, you're forced to say, well, what do I. Really. What's important to me? I don't, you know, like, I don't want to waste any time doing something that doesn't bring me joy.

[Craig Robinson]

That's right.

[Michelle Obama]

I mean, not to say sometimes you have to work. You have to work to get to the thing that you want to accomplish. But I want less of that.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And I want more of the joy parts. And I like to work, so that's fine.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. But you know that. And you've developed that muscle.

[Michelle Obama]

I have the muscle.

[Craig Robinson]

The joy muscle. It's amazing. When you've exercised the work muscle, sometimes you forget that. The joy piece, you gotta learn that too.

[Michelle Obama]

I know.

[Craig Robinson]

You gotta learn how to sit in the. The. The accomplishment and look at it and go, wow, you know, this is a good thing.

[Michelle Obama]

But you also have to. There has to be intention in it. Otherwise you can let it. Cause you could use old habits and.

[Craig Robinson]

Fall into, like, oh, my God. Yeah, the old habits.

[Michelle Obama]

And so I've been trying to be conscious of that. So that's kind of like where my life is now. It's like. And then also, the fine line of having adult children is like, how much do you. How much do you get in and how much do you get out? And how much do you stay up? I'm still in the. Stay up late if my kids are home, I can't go to sleep if they're out. Do you do that? Like, can you.

[Craig Robinson]

You know, it's interesting because both of the girls are off. They live.

[Michelle Obama]

They're on their own.

[Craig Robinson]

They're on their own.

[Michelle Obama]

But if they come stay at your house.

[Craig Robinson]

That's what I was gonna say. If they are. I don't know where they are. All for, you know, 200 days a year, but they're in my house. I'm just all of a sudden, well, where are you? You were exactly. You know, I'm not a crazy person. Yeah.

[Angie Martinez]

No.

[Craig Robinson]

That's why I'm. You know, I was never one of those mothers who are like, I just want you to be with me. I mean, I'm happy that. I love every. I've loved every phase of parenting. I loved them when they were little babies. I loved them when they were walking and starting to talk. The teenagers were interesting in the White House, but I've loved every time and watching them become their own people and make their own choices and figure stuff out and call me after they figured it out, you know, that's nice. It's a good thing. And I think that I wouldn't let them do that if they were right under me.

[Angie Martinez]

Now that we're talking a little bit about parenting, this is a good time to bring in our question.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, Natalie, let's hear the question.

[Jessica]

Hi, Michelle and Craig. I'm Jessica and the mother of a 17 year old boy. My son plays football. All of his friends do. And while I'm proud of his athletic achievements, Go Saints. I sometimes worry the environment around him pushes toxic forms of masculinity. His friends are over all the time. And although I know and love them all, I can't help but overhear some of the stuff they talk about. Girls being either hot or ugly, which guys are the best and worst at football. It seems like a verbal competition for who can be the toughest and most callous in the group. I feel like I'm seeing early stages of boys getting caught up in unhealthy ideas of what it means to be a man. The version of my son that I see with his friends is a lot different than the version I see without them. He's sweet, he likes reading, he's kind to his younger sister. I'm really not sure how to reconcile this. It's hard to find a balance between encouraging him to be strong and competitive while also making sure he stays grounded and emotionally open. How do you think we can change the conversation around masculinity so that boys learn that being a good man is about so much more than toughness or success? What are the values you've worked to instill in your own sons to help them navigate all of this? Thanks, Jessica.

[Craig Robinson]

I love this question.

[Michelle Obama]

It's a good question.

[Angie Martinez]

All right.

[Craig Robinson]

Well, because, well, also it's like I have daughters and my daughters are encountering men and boys. And, you know, I started to talk to Craig about, I try to probe. It's like, how are we feeling about where our men and boys are these days? Because, you know, there's a part of me, you know, you're reading in studies that more young men feel isolated. They feel they're feeling alone. Some of that is because of the pandemic. Some of it is because they feel left out. I just I'm curious for you two, who are sun raisers? Yeah, you know, what. What are you. What are you seeing out there in our young men?

[Michelle Obama]

That's interesting, because I did hear that too, recently, that this generation is like the loneliest generation and I think pandemic. But also I think everything's inside. You know, it's like social media and online and AI and all the things that are inside versus outside and having to force interaction and learn how to hurt somebody's feelings and feel bad about it and apologize and learn how to apologize. You know, it's like you can only learn how to be a good human by actually being a human with other humans, you know, And a lot of our kids are stuck in this, like, inside world, so I see that, but I think for me, it's like a push and pull of, like, you know, she mentions hearing him talk to his friends, and part of that is, like, they have to find their way. They're not gonna get it right all the time. And like, you, like, you were talking about peer pressure and all that stuff, being around. I think you wait for the moments you wait for when they do something that. That they did well, and you praise that and you let them know how important that part of their personality is as opposed to hovering in. And, like, why did you say that to your friend? Like, I think it's really a push and pull because you also can lose them by pushing too hard or they hide, or they hide things from you because they already know what you're gonna say about everything. So for me, I try to walk that fine line of letting them become showing by example and then also encouraging when I see something that I'm proud of so that they know that those. I mean, obviously if they did something that was completely wrong or out of line, then we're gonna address that. But talking loose with their friend, I'm not gonna jump in the room and be like, hey, I heard what you said.

[Craig Robinson]

Give a lecture on this. It's like, mom, get out of here.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, sometimes it takes a little. They gotta go on a little path. Unless you're seeing something that's super disturbing, just kinda. You gotta kind of watch and hop in where you. It's a slow mold.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, it's a slow, constant molding.

[Angie Martinez]

And I think your strategy is terrific because you just can't jump at everything they say. And nor should you be helicoptering in when you hear stuff. And my two youngest are still young enough where. And Misha and I talked about this. It gets back to the isolation. They don't communicate with their friends as much as we did when we were younger. And part of that has to do with technology, but part of it has to do with parents who are trying to curate their upbringing instead of just letting them be outside, play, say the wrong thing, get into a fight with your boys, have to make up, and then start playing again. Because that's what boys used to be known for. Cause we talk about this all the time, how boys can get into an absolute fist fight.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, yes, my boys have done that. And then they're outside playing basketball.

[Angie Martinez]

Thirty minutes later, they're outside playing basketball like nothing ever happened. And it. It. It is a boy thing.

[Michelle Obama]

And it used to be intentional sometimes. They used to. They used to say, let's go shoot a fair one. And then. And then they go fight it out. And then. Not my boys.

[Craig Robinson]

I'm just saying boys in general, that.

[Michelle Obama]

Was a thing like, we're gonna go fight it out. Which I don't necessarily love that as a mom either, but.

[Angie Martinez]

But. But I. I think this whole phenomenon is a part of just where we are in society.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Angie Martinez]

I think there is a. An industry in sort of toxicity.

[Craig Robinson]

You know, there's a marketplace for it.

[Angie Martinez]

There is an absolute.

[Craig Robinson]

There are people who are making money off of 100%. Yeah.

[Angie Martinez]

But until we can get these young men to sort of get away from their devices and start interacting from a communication standpoint, I think in any relationship.

[Michelle Obama]

Child, husband, wife, communication is key. It's like, why did you say. I heard you say that. Why did you say that? Do you think that? Is that what you really think? It's like, really? Communication is a thing. And so sometimes I say, I don't hover and I wait. Sometimes they'll come to me with something, and I love that.

[Craig Robinson]

That makes me like, yes, I'm doing something good.

[Michelle Obama]

When they can come and say this happened, or. But creating a space where your kids don't feel always beat up by you, like, you're helicoptering all the time, and you can have open communication, dialogue. Like, your friend did that. How did. Why is that? You know, like, give them the opportunity to explain and learn their own values from their own experiences and kind of help lead them that way. So I try that.

[Craig Robinson]

There is. There's more helicoptering going on in parenting. I know when we were growing up, I, you know, Craig played a lot of sports. We did activities. We had parents that supported us, but they were never at every game.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, of course not.

[Craig Robinson]

They would never go to a. They were working Right. I mean, you had to figure out how to get to practice and it wasn't an expectation. You didn't feel unloved because. And my father tried to go to as many games as he could, but that was never the expectation. Um, you know, our parents never interfered in school, you know, but you knew the expectations, you knew the expectation, but our parents would never intervene. And I know just from my experience raising my kids in communities of, and you've talked about seeing this as a coach. Parents are really, like you said, they're heavily curating their kids experiences rather than advising on the sideline. You know, they're trying to stop bad things from happening or having any bad feelings happen to their kids. And Craig, you've seen this in coaching.

[Angie Martinez]

I've seen it in coaching and I've seen it in parenting and I just can't figure it out because it comes.

[Michelle Obama]

From a place of love.

[Angie Martinez]

It comes from a place of love sometimes. Oh, well, other times it comes from a place of ego because as I'm sure you've seen with your, you know, you've got sons who've played sports at a, at a high level. For some parents, that's not just the kids attribution, that's theirs.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, yeah.

[Angie Martinez]

Because they weren't that athlete, but their son is. And now they're living through their son. And I just, I think you do your kids a disservice when you're, when.

[Michelle Obama]

You don't let them find their way.

[Angie Martinez]

They've gotta have their own experience for sure.

[Craig Robinson]

I mean, hopefully there's some listeners who see themselves in these kind of descriptions. And I tend to agree with Craig that, you know, I don't think we do our kids justice by not letting them learn how to, you know, take their own lumps and recover from it. Yeah. Like you don't want the first bump to be at 30 or 27.

[Michelle Obama]

Agreed.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. You want to get, you want to let them get those bumps at 10 and get the 7 year old bumps and learn how to deal with those. So you can handle the 10 year old bump and then the 15 year old bumps and then by the time you're out on your own, you've learned as a child that you're capable of solving your own problems. You know, but it's.

[Michelle Obama]

The alternative is trouble.

[Craig Robinson]

And then when a parent intervenes, you're also subconsciously telling them, I don't think you can handle this.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah, that's true.

[Craig Robinson]

Right. And so now you got that message in their head that my mother doesn't even think I can figure this grade situation out. So let me call her now because I don't think I can do it.

[Angie Martinez]

We're so thrilled that Pine Sol is a partner of imo. Pine Sol has been connected to our family forever. To this day, whenever my sister and I catch the scent of Pine Sol, we automatically feel better about life. The smell of Pine Sol has always taken us back to our childhood home. It is amazing how smells can transport you to a place or a moment in time. Another smell that takes me back is cherry blossoms, which always remind me of visiting Michelle in dc. That's why I'm excited for Pine Sol's newest scent, Cherry Blossom. The cleaning power you know and love from Pine Sol is available in a new scent this spring, Cherry Blossom, which is light and fresh and leaves a lasting floral scent while eliminating tough dirt, grease and grime. You can use Pine Sol Cherry Blossom Multi Surface Cleaner to help deodorize and clean hard, non porous surfaces including floors, sinks, counters, stoves, bathtubs, shower stalls, tile and more. Visit pinesol.com to find where to shop Pine Solutions Multi Surface Cleaner in the new fresh Cherry Blossom Scent this episode of the IMO podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. How many times a day do you compare yourself to others or wish your life looked like someone else's? We all do it sometimes because it's easy to envy friends lives on social media when you only see the good parts. But you know what they say, comparison is the thief of joy and in reality, nobody has it all together. Therapy can help you focus on what you want instead of what others have, like that career goal you set your sights on, or that relationship you want to grow, or that daily habit you want to get into. Because your best life is always better than the idea of someone else's. We believe in therapy at imo and we've seen firsthand how beneficial it is to invest in your own well being. You know, this reminds me of my teams when I coached back in my day we didn't have therapists assigned to the team and boy, it sure would have been nice to have access to BetterHelp so I could send my players to someone who I could trust and was reputable. BetterHelp has experienced therapists ready to help you with challenges ranging from anxiety and relationships to stress. It's convenient too. You can join a session with the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life. And you deserve that. It's time to stop comparing and start living with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com imo today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelphelp.com imo. This message is brought to you by Apple Card. Apple Card is a no fee credit card that gives you daily cash back every day. That's 3% back at Apple and 2% back on every purchase made with Apple Card using Apple Pay. Apply for Apple Card in the Wallet app on your iPhone today subject to credit approval. Variable APRs for Apple Card range from 18.24% to 28.49% based on creditworthiness rates as of January 1, 2025. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA Salt Lake City branch terms and [e-mail].

[Michelle Obama]

You know, you're making me think of something. When my son, my oldest, first went to high school, I made a decision that I was not going to set his alarm clock. If I heard his alarm clock going off or his snooze, I was not going to go in the room and wake him up. I was not going to make him break. And you know, I did a lot of that in junior high school. And I made a hard decision. But that's why I say sometimes it's from love. Your instinct is, I don't want you to be late. Let me go make sure. And then I said, if I start doing this now, his whole high school experience, I'm going to have to do this, and I don't want to do that. I'd rather him have a few latenesses this week. Have the teacher say something to him and let's get this over with so we can get you in a routine so that I do not have to do this for the next four years. So I made a conscious decision at the beginning of high school that I was not gonna wake him up. I was not gonna make him breakfast. He's gonna get himself up, get his shower, make his breakfast, and get on the bus and get out of here.

[Craig Robinson]

So I want my daughters with that young man.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

You know, the one who had to get up on his own and figure that out. And I do agree this all comes from love, you know?

[Michelle Obama]

Yes, for sure.

[Craig Robinson]

I mean, it's the love of not wanting. Look, look, you have these kids. You don't want a hair out of place. You don't want them to feel, but you have to make those decisions. I get it. But that's the hard part of parenting is like you gotta let them oversleep. Mom gave us, our mom gave us alarm clocks in kindergarten.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, Your mother was ahead of the curve.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, but she grew up with a sister that was a grown woman who had to be awakened by her father. And my mother, as a middle child watching that, said that that's the most ridiculous thing, that there's a grown woman who's going to work who can't get up on her own. And she just said, that's because my father keeps. Has kept. Has enabled her her entire life. My mother had big family, so we won't even name which aunt this was.

[Michelle Obama]

And by the way, they know who they are.

[Craig Robinson]

They know who they are. And she just said, that's not gonna be you. All because you were capable even at 5. She showed us how to work the alarms and said, you're now in school. This is your education. It's not mine. So you have to want this more than I want it. And I tried to carry that on, especially with the girls in the White House when there's so much. They could have grown up for eight years in some catered false environment, and then they'd be turned out into the streets. Right. Cause it was gonna be over. Right. You know, we weren't gonna live there. Right. That was my whole thing. And I think that's what parents have to think is. And then what. What happens when they aren't in your home? And then what?

[Michelle Obama]

Have you prepared them?

[Craig Robinson]

Have you prepared them? And that's. I think that's the greatest gift. That's the love we give them, is to do the hard thing for us early so that when they're out there, they can really function.

[Michelle Obama]

And I'll tell you something. Nothing feels better than being a parent and maybe not even being sure, oh, my God, can they handle this? Or he's going through.

[Craig Robinson]

That's all it is.

[Michelle Obama]

Let me just wait. And then they actually. They come to you. Oh, no, I did it. I. There's nothing more fulfilling than watching your child be able to do something on their own and handle a situation.

[Angie Martinez]

So, Angie, let's help Jessica get to that point, because you said something earlier that really struck me when you said that your sons will come to you and ask you, what should I do in this situation? And if your son comes and says, hey, look, I'm around these toxic guys.

[Michelle Obama]

I don't know if those would come.

[Craig Robinson]

Out, but some teenage version.

[Michelle Obama]

He's tripping.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Angie Martinez]

And I want to fit in with them, but I want to be. I want to do the right thing.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes.

[Angie Martinez]

What can we tell Jessica? Some tools to help her with her.

[Michelle Obama]

Son in terms of how to answer that question?

[Angie Martinez]

How to answer that question?

[Michelle Obama]

Like I said, it goes. You have to feed them. You answer it in a way where they're forced to answer the questions. Don't give them all the answers. Present them with situations where they have to figure out the answer, and you guide them through it. Like, gosh, it's tricky because you don't wanna tell other people's business. But one of my friends had a problem with one of his friends, got into a situation and my son said, well, do you think he did that? He was accused of something. He said, well, do you think he did that? I said, well, honestly, you spent way more time with him than I have. Do you think he's capable of that? What has your experience been? Why do you like him? It just gave me an opportunity to get to understand what he values in friendship, what he values in other people. And I was really pleased with the way he answered those questions for me. And it was honest. And instead of saying, well, you shouldn't hang out with them, because they probably did, you know, all my stuff, it was an opportunity for me to have him think about what he values in friendships and human beings and people.

[Craig Robinson]

You know, I'm smiling. Cause Malia taught me that parenting principle very early. Three years old, she had a friend in nursery school who was just kind of not a nice girl and was always. I'd go pick her up from nursery school, and there was always some story about Anna Maria or what she did. And she was mean, but they were friends and buddies. And so she's in the car seat and I'm driving, and I'm just like, ugh. Your teacher just said, anna Maria did. Da, da, da, da, da. And I was like, why are you. I just laid in Anna Maria. I was like, why are you friends with her? You know, I mean, you should. She just doesn't seem nice. Aren't you tired of that? And da, da da, da, da, da, da, da, da.

[Michelle Obama]

You knew what you would see.

[Craig Robinson]

I was telling her my feelings about her friend, and this little kid said to me. She said. I said, well, why are you friends with her? And she says, well, you remember when I was little? I was like, yeah. It's like when I first went to kindergarten, nursery school, and I didn't have any friends. She said. I said, yeah. She said, and Anna Marie was my friend, and she was my first friend. I was like, yeah, the wind is blowing out of my sail. And she said, well, you know, I can't just stop being her friend just because she doesn't do everything right. I was like, oh, you're right, you know. And by that she explained to me, as you did, why she was friends with Anna Marie. And I couldn't take issue with her assessment of it. She understood it three the situation, and it wasn't about my feelings about her and I should not have intervened. And she went on, I mean, they weren't friends forever. But that is a difficult thing because out of love, you don't want anybody messing with your 3 year old.

[Michelle Obama]

Why are you with the daughter? Why are you worthy of your friends?

[Craig Robinson]

They aren't worthy, you know, but I learned that the lesson that you talked about is like, don't always interject. You know, some of the best things you can do is ask the question and show them that you trust their judgment about how they see the world and get in a conversation.

[Michelle Obama]

And so you know them, that's for sure. Because we're so busy putting ourselves and our view of the world and our stuff on them that sometimes you have to like, peel back and get to know, well, who are you? Well, what does make you? How what does move you and inspire you?

[Craig Robinson]

I talked to Barack about that too, because as we, our two girls are very different, you know, and as are all kids, it's like you have the first child and, you know, they're easy and talkative and all that. You think you're a great parent, and then you have the second one who is just the opposite, you know, but both my girls, I love them to death, but they are clear personality. And parenting through that is really getting to know them, you know, because they tell you, they tell you from the time they're two, three, who they are, how they think, what their temperaments are. But you've gotta be a listening parent, and then you've gotta accommodate to how they hear things, how they see the world. I say parenting is like fly fishing. Never been fly fishing, but from what I've seen about it, it's all in the wrist. You know, it's a very delicate balance of lure and wind and, you know, the flow of the stream. It's like nothing works the same way every time. It's elegance, right? It's not dunk and drop and grab.

[Michelle Obama]

We should go fly fishing.

[Craig Robinson]

We should go fly fishing. Better than golfing. No, it's so good.

[Michelle Obama]

But parenting is. Huffington has like one of my favorite quotes, which is the life is the dance between making it happen and letting it happen.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And it's really the same thing with parenting. Parenting, it's like, you wanna protect them, you wanna give them, you wanna nurture them, but also, you have to let them show you things, show you who they are, and let them come to.

[Craig Robinson]

You and all those things, because they amaze you too.

[Michelle Obama]

Yes. I learn from my voice all the time.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

Yeah.

[Craig Robinson]

They will amaze you if you give them the space.

[Angie Martinez]

If you allow them to. If you allow them to. Now, I wanna hone in on some tools for Jessica, and what I'm hearing from the two of you is empathy.

[Michelle Obama]

I love empathy.

[Craig Robinson]

I love the podcasters.

[Angie Martinez]

I'm nervous.

[Michelle Obama]

Bring it back.

[Craig Robinson]

I love this for you. It's like, now we're fly fishing. It's like, poor Jessica, she won't know what to do. It's like, okay, Jessica. Craig is focusing.

[Angie Martinez]

I'm just. I wanna make sure she's.

[Michelle Obama]

The good thing about Jessica is you clearly love your child.

[Craig Robinson]

Yes.

[Michelle Obama]

You took the time to write that eloquent, beautiful, thoughtful note, which means that you spend a lot of time thinking about and loving on your kid.

[Angie Martinez]

Yeah.

[Michelle Obama]

And so chances are he's gonna be okay. My mother always said, like, when my mother became a grandmother, she was like, I heard this thing about kids, and I believe it. You just gotta love them. You just love them till they're juicy with love and the rest of that, everything you can't control, but you can't just love them. And so clearly she does.

[Angie Martinez]

But I think something that I found hard to do with my two older kids but easier to do with the two younger, is what both of you talk about that we almost gloss over. But it's a big part of this is being empathetic, seeing life through your kids eyes and not overreacting. And both of you have talked about it, and especially the point about sort of the counseling judo of asking your son the question, well, what would you do in this situation that is so simple, but it's hard for people to do because some parents don't wanna know the answer if it's not the right.

[Craig Robinson]

Answer, or they're trying to guide the answer, control it. They're trying to control the answer. You can't do it if I tell you the answer. Let me give you a leading question. Let me tell you. And it's like, you know, what I would say to Jessica is mirroring what Angie said is, first you gotta do the work early on to set the values right. And you've gotta. You gotta be modeling. Make sure that in your household, the adults that he's seeing, the conversations that you're in. So you Gotta also look at the household you run and, you know, the conversation, how you carry yourself. Because that's gonna be the first lessons. As the first and most important lessons are the lessons he's seeing Jessica live out and. And coming from people with older kids, I'm surprised at how much is baked in. You don't know it while you're cooking up the cake, but as they get older, they show you. Oh, you were listening. I know.

[Michelle Obama]

Isn't that. Oh, I love that. It's my favorite.

[Craig Robinson]

I did pick that up. You were watching. You saw me add in the buttermilk. You were watching the recipe happen. Right? But they've got to have good things to watch. And then you gotta trust them and put them in situations where they can be. They can practice their humanity with people. Get em off the phone, you know, make sure the fact that he's in a room with friends and not on a phone and that they're having. If they're having a in real person conversation with a bunch of boys, that's a good thing also.

[Michelle Obama]

You know, there is this sad truth, is that you could do everything right.

[Craig Robinson]

That's for sure. Life be lifey.

[Michelle Obama]

Life just life's. Your kids make mistakes, your kids have troubles, they have hard times. And it's not something that you did. You can't control the outcome of every situation. That's the hard part of parenting. That's like the heartbreaking part of parenting.

[Craig Robinson]

You got to think about that before you even have the baby.

[Michelle Obama]

Nobody tells you that when you have the baby.

[Craig Robinson]

I've been trying, I've been trying to tell people. I always say, this is hard.

[Michelle Obama]

The one thing that pissed me off about parenting is like, when I got pregnant, nobody told me when my son was a baby, I would look at his chest to see if he was still breathing. I'd go in the room and I.

[Craig Robinson]

Would do that for weeks.

[Michelle Obama]

And then I said, okay, I can't sleep. When does this part stop? And the day that I realized, oh my gosh, this never stops, ever, I was furious. And nobody told me that, like, this.

[Craig Robinson]

Is a big deal, like forever. I have somebody to work wherever and ever. Amen. As I say, you know, I don't care how old, it's different forever. And then they'll have grandkids and you'll feel the same way about them. So it just goes on. It's torturous. It's really torturous. So we gotta think about this. Cause parenting is for, you know, it ain't for everybody. It ain't for suckers. It's not for suckers. You gotta be tough. You gotta, you know, you gotta be. And so we have to prepare. Jessica has to prepare her son for that life. Cause life ain't for suckers, right? So he's gotta be ready because life will have challenges. And so parenting with that in mind. Preparing kids for the world that they will enter, not the world that mom hopes they will have or the ones that she can manipulate to make it feel okay. Because it will never be like that. It will. At some point, her son will hit a roadblock. We'll have, we'll have a bad interaction. And so he has to be ready to handle that. Which means that she's gotta let him practice making mistakes and having friendships that go awry and learning how to make correct that she's gotta coach and advise she can't live his life for him. And if she's thinking all along, I'm creating an adult, a full blown adult in the world that's gonna drive a car and have other kids and work a job and be somebody's neighbor and.

[Michelle Obama]

He'S gonna be a man and he's.

[Craig Robinson]

Going to be a man in this world. He's not your little boy out in the world. Please make these men ready. Get them ready for hurt and disappointment and make them resilient. And you can't do that if you're monitoring his friends and, you know, trying to interfere and make life easy for him at a young age because he won't be ready for what is inevitably out there. I don't care what race he is. You know, he's gonna be a man in the world and there will be hardships and disappointments and he's gotta be ready. I know I do that with my girls. And people say mothers raise their girls and love their sons. And I'd say love your son, but raise him too. Raise him to be as strong as, you know he's going to have to be. You know, teach him about how to deal with a traffic stop, but also teach him how to communicate in a marriage and be a listening father and to, you know, be a compassionate neighbor and to be a voting citizen, you know, somebody who's gonna pay attention and care about something outside of himself. You know, and if you're thinking about that human, then all these choices become a little more clear. It's about what he needs as a grown man in the world. That would be.

[Michelle Obama]

You should have threw a boy in the mix.

[Craig Robinson]

I would. I'm so glad I didn't Have a boy here. Cause he would have been a Barack Obama.

[Michelle Obama]

Oh, my baby Barack. It would have been amazing.

[Craig Robinson]

No, I would have felt for him.

[Angie Martinez]

She just borrowed our boys.

[Craig Robinson]

Oh, I got as many.

[Angie Martinez]

She always borrowed ours.

[Craig Robinson]

I got plenty. Well, what do you do? Do you think we gave enough?

[Angie Martinez]

No, I think.

[Michelle Obama]

I think we gave too much. I think we went.

[Angie Martinez]

This was really good.

[Craig Robinson]

I'm so sorry.

[Angie Martinez]

This is what I will say. And we don't know if Jessica's married or not.

[Craig Robinson]

It's true. We didn't hear that part about it.

[Angie Martinez]

But that's why we have wives. Because you all know what you're talking about.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah, but y' all gotta know something, too.

[Michelle Obama]

You got to contribute.

[Craig Robinson]

Come on.

[Angie Martinez]

See, here's what happens.

[Michelle Obama]

That was uncalled for.

[Craig Robinson]

That was double teamed. I'm sorry. Sorry. You struck a nerve with both.

[Angie Martinez]

All the guys in here, like, well, try to be nice.

[Craig Robinson]

It's like, yeah, don't put it on.

[Angie Martinez]

Look what happens.

[Craig Robinson]

It's like. That's why you have to know.

[Angie Martinez]

You watch yourself, Jessica. I hope this was helpful, but I hope so, too.

[Michelle Obama]

I love it.

[Angie Martinez]

I love it. And you threw something else in there at the end. Says, after empathy and after asking the questions, you have to trust. You have to trust the process and trust your son. So, no, I think prayer don't hurt.

[Craig Robinson]

Me, by the way.

[Michelle Obama]

There you go.

[Craig Robinson]

And that's another thing.

[Michelle Obama]

Prayer don't hurt.

[Craig Robinson]

Little prayer. It's like, jesus, please help them.

[Michelle Obama]

Please help them, protect them.

[Angie Martinez]

Well, Angie, I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed this.

[Craig Robinson]

Yeah. Thank you. Thanks for having me. This is good. Thank you for coming. You are.

[Angie Martinez]

You're a legend. And thank you for being here.

[Craig Robinson]

Thank you.

[Michelle Obama]

Sorry we ganged up on you in that little moment.

[Craig Robinson]

I. Don't apologize.

[Angie Martinez]

That was perfect.

[Craig Robinson]

I'm fine with it. I'm fine with it.

[Michelle Obama]

We're both capable.

[Angie Martinez]

I saw my brethren out there. They. They, like you fell for the trap. You fell right into the trap.

[Michelle Obama]

Thank you for having me, guys.

[Craig Robinson]

Hopefully, we'll do this again. Be well.

[Michelle Obama]

Bye, Jessica, wherever you are.

[Craig Robinson]

Godspeed.