Kids help keep first lady grounded

WASHINGTON, May 22 (UPI) -- First Lady Michelle Obama says her children help keep her grounded while living at the most famous address in the United States.

"Kids force you into a normalcy, that, you know, it even trumps this (place) in many ways," the first lady told Time Magazine in an exclusive interview about life at the White House published in its latest edition.

She says she schedules no meetings before getting Sasha and Malia off to school and makes sure she's there for their soccer games on Saturday.

Her days start at dawn, when she walks Bo, the new White House dog, and then hits the treadmill for her daily exercise. Bo's evening stroll is her husband's duty, she says.

"We sort of handle Bo like we did the kids, I'm the early morning person. … Once I go to bed, I don't care what happens," she says.

"He's getting to the point where he can be naughty," she told Time about Bo. "Like you walk in the room and it's like, 'Where'd you get that sock?'"

She says while she loves her role as first lady, being in the spotlight all the time is difficult.

"It's a lot easier to live your life when everything you do doesn't have a consequence," she says.