Barack Obama and his family are clinging to their last weeks of near-normality before they move to Washington, as his daughters Malia and Sasha decide which White House bedroom to have after being given a tour of the executive mansion.

The Obama girls, who will be the youngest children to live in the White House since Amy Carter 31 years ago, were shown the White House children’s bedrooms by Jenna and Barbara Bush - President Bush’s twins - during a tour of their new home with their mother and maternal grandmother, Marian Robinson.

Michelle Obama says that her number one priority is to try to allow her daughters to lead as normal a life as possible, but as they prepare to leave Chicago the scale of how things have already changed is clear. Twice last week their father dropped them at school in a bullet-proof SUV trailed by an armed Secret Service counter-assault team, who have codenames for the two girls: Rosebud and Radiance. Their home in Chicago is now surrounded by barriers and sealed off by police cars.

Having been raised without nannies, Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, now get to choose between the East, or Yellow bedroom - past occupants include Caroline Kennedy, Amy Carter and Chelsea Clinton - and the West, or Blue, bedroom, where John F. Kennedy Jnr slept. They will have a full kitchen staff on call.

Mrs Obama says that she wants to avoid significant changes to their life-style. The girls will still make their own beds, do their chores and pour their own cereal and milk. “But I couldn’t but help envisioning the girls running into their rooms and running down the hall - with a dog,” Mrs Obama told 60 Minutes. “Our hope is that the White House will feel open and fun and full of life and energy.”

This week Mrs Obama visited two exclusive private schools in Washington: Sidwell Friends and Georgetown Day School, where annual fees are between $25,000 (£16,000) and $30,000 per pupil. The girls currently attend the private University of Chicago Laboratory School, but the Obamas say that they are still weighing up whether to send them to a nonfee paying public school.

At Sidwell Friends - Chelsea Clinton’s alma mater - students have been told that if they are approached by a reporter to say “no comment”.

During the transition Mr Obama is spending each evening with his daughters, who still jump into his bed each morning. He reads to them every night and still visits his favourite Chicago restaurant, Spiaggia, with his wife - and a Secret Service detail (he is particularly fond of the wood-grilled scallops). He will take the family on holiday to Hawaii at Christmas.

His life is already transformed. There is an internal debate whether as President, Mr Obama can still use his beloved BlackBerry. He has already spoken to dozens of leaders including Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President.

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