Four years ago, when Barack Obama was a presidential candidate on the verge of creating history, his young family were often seen by his side on the campaign trail.
But this time around - after four difficult years in the world's most powerful job before a watchful media - there was a noticeable absence during Obama's re-election campaign.
The President's daughters Sasha, 11, and 14-year-old Malia were rarely seen with him - in stark contrast to Republican opponent Mitt Romney, who often paraded his adult sons, their wives and grandchildren at events and rallies.
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Growing up: The President's daughters Sasha and
Malia have not been seen with him during this election campaign - in
stark contrast to four years ago (pictured right) when they were often
by his side. The girls, pictured left, were on stage in Chicago
following their father's victory speech
Delighted: Sasha, second left, and Malia, right,
looked thrilled on stage last night with their mother Michelle and
victorious father
Change: The President's daughters have not only
grown up from four years ago but also look more confident and
self-assured in the limelight
The 10,000-strong crowd at his Illinois campaign headquarters waved flags wildly and danced around as Obama hugged his delighted daughters. The pair looked proud as their father thanked their mother and also paid tribute to his girls.
Obama said they were ‘two smart, beautiful young women, just like their mother’. But if the girls were hoping that their father's election night success would soften him up to buy another pet, he disappointed them, adding: 'One dog is probably enough’.
The Obamas embraced Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill, along with crowds of relatives and supporters, as Bruce Springsteen's anthem We Take Care Of Our Own blared over the speakers.
Both Sasha and Malia have clearly grown from the young, shy girls of four years ago. After four years in the White House, with their dad as President, their lives are no doubt unrecognizable from how they lived before.
Happy family: The President with his wife and
daughters, Sasha (left with her father, carrying her Obama campaign bag)
and Malia (hand-in-hand with Michelle), board Air Force One at Chicago
O'Hare Airport today as they head home to the White House
Success: Obama is applauded by his proud family after his victory
Proud: President Barack Obama waves as he walks
on stage with his family in Chicago. Obama said his daughters are 'two
smart beautiful young women, just like their mother'
Warning: If the girls were hoping that their
father's election night success would soften him up to buy another pet,
he disappointed them by saying: 'one dog is probably enough'
Beaming: Barack Obama puts his arm around Malia as he waves to supporters during his election night victory speech
Pleased: The Obama family look on in delight as Vice President Joe Biden walks on stage
They also appeared at the Democratic National Convention on September 6 in North Carolina, where they waved from the stage as their father accepted the presidential nomination.
During the campaign, the Obama girls were mostly kept out of the limelight. Republican contender Mitt Romney was regularly surrounded by his children and grandchildren at the presidential debates - whereas Obama was only pictured with the First Lady.
In a New Hampshire radio interview on Election Day, Obama spoke about how being a parent is not always easy. A co-host’s 12-year-old daughter, called Taylor, had prepared a question for Obama. She asked him: 'Mr President, my mom won't let me date until I'm 16. Do you allow your daughters to date yet?'
Obama said that Sasha, 11, his younger daughter, did not yet seem to be interested in dating. He said that for Malia, 14, now in high school, there hadn't been 'anything official' yet.
'I would say that you should talk it through with your parents and the time will be right where there's nothing wrong with a young man coming by, introducing himself, being very proper and polite and making sure that you guys get home at a reasonable time,' he said.
Rare appearance: The girls were last seen in
public on October 28 as they attended church in Washington D.C. with
their father and godmother Kaye Wilson
Last outing: The girls have very much been kept
out of the public eye - unlike four years ago. This was them pictured on
October 28
Happy: Apart from the October 28 outing, the
President's daughters were last seen at the Democratic National
Convention on September 6
Funny: Malia, left, and Sasha, right, and First
Lady Michelle listen as their father speaks at the Democratic National
Convention
Obama said that ‘being a parent's not always easy, Taylor’ and added: ‘I know you guys think you have it rough, but being a parent's not too easy, either. We worry about you guys so much because we love you so much.’
Barack has also previously spoken about his worries over his daughters as they grow up in the public eye. He told MTV last month that he was concerned about Malia going on Facebook because she was so well-known.
Obama said: 'I'm very keen on protecting her privacy. She can make her own decisions as she gets older, but right now, for security reasons, she does not have a Facebook page.'
In 2008, Obama's two daughters were by his side during a lot of the campaign, wearing T-shirts and being involved in events like packing boxes for overseas troops.
He drew criticism when he allowed his daughters to be interviewed by Access Hollywood four years ago. Malia and Sasha, ten and seven at the time, spoke on camera, in an interview which was then splashed across the TV networks.
United: Republican presidential candidate, Mitt
Romney with his wife Ann and the rest of his family crowd onto the stage
after conceding defeat. His adult children and grandchildren had often
appeared at his side throughout the campaign
Together: Despite Obama's young daughters not
been seen in public during the campaign, Mitt Romney was often pictured
with his family. He is pictured watching his grandchildren play Jenga
before the final presidential debate
Touching: Obama greets one of Mitt Romney's grandchildren after the final presidential debate
Although their father could be attempting to shield his daughters from the viciousness of the presidential campaign, there could also be one simple answer - both Malia and Sasha are mid-way through term at the private Sidwell Friends School they attend in D.C.
In the Republican camp during the election campaign, Romney was almost constantly accompanied by members of his large family, including his wife of 42 years Ann, his five sons and their wives and many of his 18 grandchildren, who are often photographed on his campaign jet.
Republican Vice President nominee Paul Ryan also had his children along for the ride in the last days of the campaign.
His ten-year-old daughter Liza, who is close in age to Sasha Obama, has been pictured striking a number of comic poses while her father appears at events in swing states.
His son Charlie, eight, appears shy while the youngest, seven-year-old Sam, often steals the show with a beaming grin for the waiting press.
The trio appear to be enjoying the shift from their lives in small town Janesville, Wisconsin, to motorcades across the country, posing in Romney-Ryan hats and t-shirts and attending football games.
Growing up in the public eye: One of the
earliest pictures of the Obama family was taken in 2004 while he was in
the running for the Senate
At the presidential debates, Michelle Obama supported her husband from the audience with members of his campaign team - but without their girls. The Romney camp were pictured in the audience and following the debate with their grandchildren as they met the Obamas.
Now as President Obama enters his second term, their two daughters can look forward to another four years growing up in Washington. By the time they leave, Malia and Sasha will have spent almost half their lives in the White House.
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