The “First Boy” of the White House, Barron Trump, is a child of immense privilege and worldwide recognition. But, who is he really and how is he coping with being at the center of attention. In many ways, he has had to forfeit the experiences and freedoms that other preteens take for granted. In other ways, he’s just a typical boy. Here are some interesting and intriguing aspects of being the child of Donald and Melania.
Barron William Trump weighed 8.5 pounds when he as born on March 20, 2006, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, the only child of both Donald and Melania Trump. Having been obsessed with the name Barron for years, his father chose the first name, and his mother the middle name. The toddler Barron was given his own room, an entire floor, in the family’s Trump Towers penthouse. He was allowed to do anything he wanted in his “room” to include drawing and coloring on the walls. Melania said in interviews that, if he said no to her, she always acquiesced so as not to impair his creativity.
Barron attended the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in Manhattan until he and his mother moved to the White House permanently five months after the inauguration. The elite non-sectarian school has 1300 students, and the Trumps paid $48,790 in yearly tuition for their son’s elementary education. He now attends St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Potomac, Maryland, with 585 students and an annual tuition of $39,790. About 40% of the St. Andrew’s students are people of color. Unlike the liberal DC schools chosen by the Clintons and the Obamas, the Trumps chose this school outside the heart of the city and in a more conservative environment.
Melania call’s her son “Little Donald” routinely and says he is more like his father than any of the President’s other children. He likes suits more than sweats, he loves golf, he builds model buildings, and he is very meticulous and determined in almost everything he attempts. He does share his mother’s love for the languages and already speaks fluently in her native language of Slovenian as well as French. He calls her “Mommy.”
Both the parents admit that Melania has always been the one to care for their son. He is only supervised by a nanny when his parents are out of town without him. Donald never changed a diaper or put him to bed. Melania enjoys those duties and considers them her responsibility. The best, and almost only, father-son quality time comes when the family vacations at their Florida home in Mar-a-Lago. Melania is passionate about keeping her son healthy with a balanced diet and exercise. Each evening, she scrubs his face and applies her own caviar-infused moisturizer to it.
The first boy to live in the White house since JFK Junior over a half-century ago, he is the first preteen to be there since eleven-year-old Charles Taft in 1908. Barron’s very refined first twelve years have, of course, made his fishbowl life a little less challenging. He came to Washington experienced in smiling at cameras, certain social protocols, and very limited privacy. However, no one can be completely prepared for the role of the President’s kid. So, what is a typical weekday for Barron William Trump?
Melania gets Barron up around 6:00 a.m. and fixes his breakfast. Yes, the First Lady cooks for her son and often for the threesome. She prepares his school lunch to be carried in a lunch box. By 7:30 a.m., the Secret Service mini-motorcade of two SUVs is waiting at the south entrance door ready for the 20-mile, 30-minute drive in rush-hour traffic. Five agents escort him outside the Beltway and to his school. Two of the five will walk him to class and remain with him–one in the back of the classroom and one just outside the door. The other three rotate positions around the exterior. Barron blends in with the other students with the obvious exception that two agents follow him everywhere. When the final bell rings, the agents and SUVs reverse the morning’s ritual arriving at the White House around 4:00 p.m. The routes to and from school are varied daily.
The typical boy in Barron emerges as he goes to his personally decorated White House room with a snack, plays video games, and watches TV until dinner. On occasion, he must dress for a formal dinner with special guests and play the part. In the evenings, Melania monitors his homework and helps when needed, and he is normally in bed by 10:00 p.m. Any anxieties or unsettling events from his day are usually discussed at his bedside between him and his mommy. He seems to be handling the role with dignity and poise. According to his parents, no tantrums or melt-downs have been experienced so far.
The next time you see this young man on TV walking to or from Marine 1 or showing up in festivities for a foreign leader, think about his being thrust into the spotlight at such a tender age. Say a short prayer for his safety and success as he sacrifices a lot of the joys of boyhood for the rare privilege of being the son of the President.