There are only four days until Donald Trump鈥檚 inauguration and transition to Washington D.C., but one key person in his life won鈥檛 be making that move just yet.
In a scenario that some are calling unprecedented, Trump鈥檚 wife, Melania, is staying in New York with their 10-year-old son Barron until the end of the school year.
But Anita McBride, former chief of staff to Laura Bush, says it 鈥渞eally isn鈥檛鈥� that unusual for the first lady to delay her move to the White House.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just something that we鈥檙e accustomed to in recent administrations and recent times,鈥� McBride said in an interview on CTV鈥檚 Your Morning on Tuesday.
In the more 鈥渄istant鈥� past, McBride said, first ladies did not 鈥渕ake the trek down to Washington right away and they came much later.鈥�
By remaining in New York for the time being, Melania is strongly indicating that her focus will be on family first.
鈥淎nd we know that this is something that (current first lady Michelle) Obama contemplated eight years ago as well 鈥� not to move to Washington right away until the (Obama) girls finished their school year in 2009,鈥� McBride said.
Once Melania does make the move, and adjusts to the role, she鈥檒l have the opportunity to shape it however she chooses.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 one of the things that鈥檚 so great about this position of first lady, is that each person that comes into it gets to define it the way they want it to be,鈥� McBride said.
However, that doesn鈥檛 mean expectations aren鈥檛 high for an incoming first lady.
鈥淎mericans like to see their first ladies active, like to see them engaged,鈥� McBride said. 鈥淏ut I think we can also appreciate and understand that it takes some time to adjust to this role that nobody can prepare you for completely.鈥�
But is the role of the first lady an official job or a title?
McBride said former first lady Patricia Nixon called the role the hardest unpaid job in the world.
鈥淎nd it really is, there is no position description, you get to rewrite every single time, but there are just such great expectations for it,鈥� McBride said. 鈥淵ou engage in issues, you鈥檙e expected to be the caretaker of the White House, which is a living museum, it鈥檚 a home, it鈥檚 a symbol of our democracy.
鈥淭he one good thing about it though, is you do get to pick and choose, unlike the president of the United States, where every problem comes to their desk,鈥� McBride said.
And unlike other White House roles, where career civil servants will 鈥渃ontinue the work of an operational unit鈥� despite a change in administration, none of the staff members currently working in Michelle Obama鈥檚 office will be there after the inauguration.
McBride expects that Melania Trump has already interviewed new candidates, and that formal announcements will come sometime after Jan. 20.
Two-person role?
There has been much speculation that the role will be shared between Melania and Trump鈥檚 daughter, Ivanka Trump, who is moving with her husband and young children to Washington.
If that鈥檚 the case, it would also not be unprecedented.
鈥淲e have had many daughters, nieces, sisters of presidents in the past help to fulfill this role,鈥� McBride said.
McBride pointed to former first lady Betty Ford, who underwent a mastectomy shortly after her husband, ex-U.S. President Gerald Ford, took office. While she was recuperating, her daughter Susan Ford 鈥渟tepped in to help her father with different events around the White House.鈥�
