Presidential Kids Talk Life In The White House: Sneaking Up On The Roof And K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Growing up in the executive mansion of the United States obviously has a lot of perks. Unlike our kids, the offsprings of the president have access to a bowling alley, 24-hour-a-day chefs, and an in-house movie theater. President Obama recently invited One Direction to the White House. I’m sure the kids growing up in the White House have a lot more pressure and fears than a lot of our kids do, but they certainly get some pretty cool bonuses as well. For instance, this nostalgic tidbit from the Washington Post: 

 Whether it was to sneak a first kiss or listen to Led Zeppelin, climbing onto the roof of the White House was apparently a popular practice among a few presidents’ children.

Steve Ford garnered laughs during a panel discussion Thursday with fellow children of former presidents as he recalled dragging a stereo onto the roof with a friend his first night there in 1974.

A teenager at the time his father took office, he said, ”I think we were playing like Led Zeppelin’s ”˜Stairway to Heaven.’ Literally, it was like ”˜Dumb and Dumber.’”

Jenna Bush Hager later told Ford, ”You can still get up on that roof, because I had my first kiss with my husband up there.”

Can you imagine having your first kiss on the roof of the White House? I don’t even remember where my first kiss was, which shows exactly how unmemorable it was! And the only time I was ever on a roof listening to Zepplin, I’m sure I was totally stoned and it probably wasn’t nearly as cool as being on the roof of the White House!

I need to see this movie! I’m going to write the screenplay for this movie! Wes Anderson can direct it. I see Bill Murray as being president and Anjelica Huston as the First Lady. I’m sure there are all sorts of interesting stories about the kids of presidents who acted like, you know, normal kids in the White House and got in all sorts of mischief. Steve Ford also shared some other facts about growing up in the White House:

After his father was sworn in, his mother, Betty Ford, fixed the family dinner.

”She looks over at my dad and says, ”˜Gerry, something’s wrong here. You just became president of the United States and I’m still cooking,’” he said.

First ladies! They are just like us! Making the family dinners even though they can totally order out for pizza. He also revealed that Betty was a huge fan of Gunsmoke and when state dinners interfered with her watching her favorite story, her husband figured out a way to have the White House Communications Agency tape Gunsmoke for her. This is one of the reasons I could never be First Lady. I’d be all stressed about setting my DVR to record Nashville and Sons Of Anarchy and skipping out on important First Lady business when the season finales of my stories were on. Plus I’d always be dragging my husband up on the roof to make out.

(photo: Orhan Cam /Shutterstock)

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