First Lady Michelle Obama is one of  five women to be featured on the cover of Glamour magazine’s December “Women of the Year” issue.  In the issue, Mrs. Obama  talks about everything from her daughters Malia,11, and Sasha,8, to how it feels to be scrutinized as the first lady.

On the most surprising about being in the white house:
“We’ve had some just amazing experiences traveling abroad, being able to introduce our children to the world…. I’m also humbled by the response and the receptiveness, not just here in America, but around the world. There’s a part of that warmth and enthusiasm and hope that is surprising and humbling.”

On her kids being blessed:
“They are very blessed…. That’s why I think that mentoring is such a critical part of the role I can play in this position. I see how little bits of exposure and big bits of exposure really change my girls significantly, and I want that for more girls around the country and the world.”

On balancing it all:
“I’ve always had my mom. I’ve always had a supportive husband. So, now, with all the support around me as First Lady, I feel like this is easier than when I was back in Chicago. I have always tried to put my kids first, and then…put myself a really close second, as opposed to fifth or seventh. One thing that I’ve learned from male role models is that they don’t hesitate to invest in themselves, with the view that, if I’m healthy and happy, I’m going to be a better support to my spouse and children. And I’ve found that to be the case: Once my kids were settled, the next thing I did was take care of my own health and sanity. And made sure that I was exercising and felt good about myself. I’d bring that energy to everything else that I did, the career, relationship, on and on and on.”

On who her role models are:
“They were the people in my life. My mom, for sure. My dad. The teachers. For me, role-modeling was immediate, it was touchable. It was rare for me to idolize a movie star or a singer…because, truly, children connect with who is in their lives, present and accounted for. When I was little, I wanted to be a mother, because that’s who I saw. I saw my mom caring for me. I didn’t play doctor. I didn’t play lawyer. I didn’t have those visions until I was in college, meeting people who were doing those things. That’s why we’re trying to encourage moms, teachers, fathers, to be that presence in their children’s lives, in their communities, because it really makes a difference.”

On being scrutinized as the first lady:
“All we can do as women is make the best decisions for us. And that includes everything from how you look to how you dress to whether you choose to stay at home or work when you have kids. All those decisions are so personal, and we have to start with finding what brings us joy and what brings us our own individual confidence. And if we’re feeling good with those choices, then it makes what everybody else has to say less important. People are always going to have opinions, and people have a right to their opinions, particularly when you’re the First Lady; you’re representing the nation. So I can’t be surprised that people are interested. But I’ve tried to be at peace with the choices that I make first, and then be open to everyone else’s reflection.”

Read more interview at Glamour.com