# How many kids have had the run of the White House?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-kids-have-had-the-run-of-the-white-house/482217
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 20, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-kids-have-had-the-run-of-the-white-house/482217 "2009-01-20T21:44:18Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-kids-have-had-the-run-of-the-white-house/482217/1 "2009-01-20T21:44:18Z")
My head isn’t up to doing the research myself right now, but I was wondering how many Presidents have had young children.
What sort of freedom do you think they will have in there? Will there be loads of locked doors? I bet those girls of Obama’s will certainly keep the security detail on their toes, yet I imagine they’ll be a breath of fresh air for the rest of the staff. Well, most of the time!
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### Author:  [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-kids-have-had-the-run-of-the-white-house/482217/2 "2009-01-20T21:56:17Z")
By many accounts, Lincoln’s sons were undisciplined little hellions who did as they pleased with little supervision and a “boys will be boys” attitude from their father.
As for minor children who have lived in the White House, [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_children_of_the_Presidents_of_the_United_States) is a list of children of presidents. You’ll have to figure out for yourself which ones actually lived in the White House.
In recent memory:
Chelsea Clinton
Amy Carter
Susan Ford (age 17 when her father was sworn in, IIRC)
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### Author:  [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)
#### Post date: [January 20, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-kids-have-had-the-run-of-the-white-house/482217/3 "2009-01-20T23:08:14Z")
And of course, the Kennedy children.
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### Author:  [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-kids-have-had-the-run-of-the-white-house/482217/4 "2009-01-21T00:19:21Z")
Don’t forget [Luci Johnson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luci_Baines_Johnson), who was 16 when her father assumed office.