Presidential Parenting: Which Commander-in-Chief is Like Your Head-of-Household?

Parenting Styles At The White House

44th president, 2009-Present
Style: Dad in Progress

After nearly two years on the campaign trail, Barack Obama committed himself to spending more time with Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, in the White House and tries to have family dinners whenever possible. He also had a tricked-out swing set installed on the White House grounds, visible from the Oval Office. Obama's daughters have been more visible than some other recent first children, seeming to relish opportunities to travel the world with their parents, often in the care of their regular baby sitter, first lady Michelle's mother, Marian Robinson, who lives with the family in the White House.

Alex Brandon, AP

43rd president, 2001-2009
Style: Been There, Done That

George W. Bush has something in common with his twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna -- all three are the children of presidents. (Bush's dad, George H.W. Bush, was the 41st president.) Bush himself has said about his early days, "When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and irresponsible." Like father, like daughters; Barbara and Jenna, college students when he took office, were both cited for underage drinking in Texas.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP

42nd president, 1993-2001
Style: Protective Pop

Bill and Hillary Clinton faced allegations of scandal starting in the 1992 presidential campaign. But as much as their critics reviled the couple, most credited them for their efforts to protect their only child, Chelsea, from the media spotlight. Chelsea turned 13 soon after her father began his first term and from the start, the Clintons insisted that there be no photos or interviews of their daughter. They also sent her to the private Sidwell Friends School to further protect her from the press.

Greg Gibson, AP

39th president, 1977-1981
Style: Plains and Simple

When Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter moved to Washington, D.C., from Georgia, they had three grown sons and a 9-year-old daughter, Amy, whom the Carters enrolled in a Washington public school; no presidential child has gone to public school since. True to the family's small-town roots, the president designed a tree house for Amy on the South Lawn of the White House, big enough for sleepovers. When she had friends over, Secret Service agents stood guard under the tree.

Warren K. Leffler / Library of Congress

36th president, 1963-1969
Style: All the Way With LBJ

As a baby, Claudia Taylor was nicknamed "Lady Bird." When she married Lyndon Johnson, her initials became LBJ, just like his. The couple didn't stop there, naming their daughters Lynda Bird Johnson and Luci Baines Johnson. Moving to Washington, D.C. gave the girls a chance to spend more time with their father, a career politician. The girls took their politics seriously -- Luci often said that her 17th birthday was her most memorable, because it was the day her dad signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

AP

35th president, 1961-1963
Style: Superstar Dad

John and Jacqueline Kennedy did their best to shield their two young children from the media spotlight. The first lady started a school on the third floor of the White House with 11 handpicked students, including kindergartner Caroline, and on weekends, she often took Caroline and her toddler brother, John Jr., away to a private Virginia farm. During the week, John Jr. could often be found crawling around beneath the president's desk in the Oval Office. The boy was just 3 years old when his father was assassinated in 1963.

AP

33rd president, 1945-1953
Style: Stand-up Dad

Harry Truman's only child, Margaret, was a college student while her father was president. She went on to become a successful author but in her youth, she aspired to be a popular singer. After a Washington Post music critic, reviewing a 1950 concert, said that Margaret was "flat a good deal of the time," the president wrote him a note, saying, "Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below."

AP

26th president, 1901-1909
Style: Not-so-rough Rider

Teddy Roosevelt's youngest sons, Archie and Quentin, and their friends called themselves "the White House Gang." They raced their bikes in the hallways, dropped water balloons on visitors from the roof and attacked a portrait of Andrew Jackson with spitballs. Roosevelt, the old soldier, often left his office at four in the afternoon to play with his "blessed bunnies," typically ending the sessions with pillow fights. He famously said of his notorious oldest child, Alice, who was known to gamble, smoke, drink and bring her garter snake to formal functions, "I can be president of the United States, or I can attend to Alice. I cannot possibly do both!"

Library Of Congress / Getty Images

22nd president, 1885-1889 / 24th president, 1893-1897
Style: The Old Dog

Grover Cleveland became the first president to get married in the White House in 1886 when, at age 48, he wed 21-year-old Frances Folsom in the building's Blue Room. Cleveland lost the 1888 election but he and Frances returned to the White House four years later, accompanied by toddler daughter, Ruth, America's sweetheart. After her death at age 12 of diphtheria, she became the inspiration for the Baby Ruth candy bar, according to the confections manufacturer.

Library Of Congres / Getty Images

19th president, 1877-1881
Style: Wholesome But Fun

Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife, Lucy, were religiously observant and well-known teetotalers. They banned drinking, smoking, dancing and pool at the White House. But they still had a good time. To the delight of their son, Scott, they hosted the first White House Easter Egg Roll in 1878, reviving a tradition that had begun at the U.S. Capitol and has been a presidential institution ever since.

Library of Congress