Family support key to Obama's re-election bid

Washington: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday said he decided to seek reelection next year because his wife and his two daughters believe he is making a difference from the White House.

"Look, Michelle and the kids are wonderful in that if I said, 'You know what, guys, I want to do something different,' they'd be fine. They're not invested in daddy being president or my husband being president," Obama said in

an interview to NBC news.

He said First Lady Michelle's support was particularly key in his decision to run again.

"But they do believe in what we're doing. And I think, you know, Michelle, if she didn't think that what we were doing was worthwhile in moving the country forward, I think she'd be the first one to say, 'Why don't you go do something

else that is a little less stressful?'," he said.

Obama praised his daughters Malia and Sasha, who have had to live amid "the hothouse environment of the White House".

"The girls seem to be thriving. They continue to surprise me with how poised, well-mannered, kind they're turning out, even in the hothouse environment of the White House," said Obama, the proud dad.

He said his family has got accustomed to the fact that their dad's busy a lot and that there are going to be some pressures on not just me but the family.

Even though he has filled up the papers for his reelection, responding to questions, he said there are days where he says that one term is enough.

"So if the family's doing well, if Michelle's still putting up with me, then I've got enough energy to keep on doing the work that I'm doing," Obama said.

The president said he still needed restructure the education system so that "every kid has a chance at a successful career in the 21st century."

"What keeps me going is a belief that the work that we started in 2009 is not yet complete. We still don't have the kind of energy policy that we need to move this country forward," Obama said.

"So I'm constantly thinking about the work that is undone, despite the fact of being very proud about what we've gotten accomplished over the last two and a half years," he said.