Some teenagers get driving lessons from their parents . Other teens are taught by licensed instructors . But Malia Obama is n't your average 16-year-old : Her driving lessons were provided by the U.S. Secret Service . Asked who taught Malia how to drive , first lady Michelle Obama told celebrity chef and daytime talk-show host Rachael Ray in an interview that it was the armed agents who provide around-the-clock security for the family . Scroll down for video . Famous family : Malia Obama , seen with her mother Michelle Obama in April 2009 , reportedly was taught how to drive by Secret Service agents . 'The Secret Service , actually , because they would n't let me in the car with her , ' Mrs. Obama said in an excerpt of the interview that was released by Ray 's program . The full interview is set to air Thursday . Mrs. Obama has n't driven herself in seven or eight years , she said . She added that driving gives Malia ' a sense of normalcy , ' helping her feel like the rest of her friends who are also driving . 'And my kids have got to learn how to live in the world like normal kids . ' When Ray says that the Obamas seem 'so grounded , ' the first lady replies that her 'hope is just to make sure that they ( her daughters ) come out of this thing as functioning adults , you know ? ' Malia also drives herself around Washington , Mrs. Obama said . 'She always has security around but in order for her to learn how to drive she had to drive on her own , ' the first lady said during a separate interview on 'Live ! With Kelly and Michael ' earlier this week . 'So once she was legally permitted to drive on her own , she gets in her car . ' Famous family : In this March 7 , 2015 file photo , President Barack Obama and Malia Obama arrive at Air Force One at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery , Alabama . Connection : First Lady Michelle Obama and Food Network chef Rachel Ray are seen together in February 2013 .
Michelle Obama told talk-show host Rachael Ray that Secret Service agents taught her daughter Malia how to drive . Mrs. Obama has n't driven herself in April 2009 , she said . She added that driving gives Malia ' a sense of normalcy , ' helping her feel like the rest of her friends who are also driving .