The Secret Service taught Malia Obama to drive

(CNN) - Secret Service agents have one of the toughest jobs in Washington: They are expected, if necessary, to put their lives on the line in the protection of the President and his family.

They've also had to teach a teen to drive.

First lady Michelle Obama revealed this week that her older daughter, 16-year-old Malia, was taught to drive by the Secret Service and occasionally drives outside the White House grounds on her own.

"The Secret Service [taught her], actually, because they wouldn't let me in the car with her," Obama told television host Rachael Ray in an interview that's set to air Thursday.

It's a good thing, too, as the First Lady told Ray she hasn't driven in seven or eight years, and admitted earlier this week she's forgotten some of the basics.

During a Monday interview on "Live! With Kelly and Michael," Obama said that when Malia asked her for advice on how to park in a public lot, the First Lady wasn't sure.

"I barely know now too so I have to check with other sources," she said.

Obama said that while Malia is typically covered by a security detail, she has driven on her own.

"She always has security around. But in order for her to learn how to drive, she had to drive on her own. So once she was legally permitted to drive on her own, she gets in her car," she said.

Allowing Malia to drive, Obama told Ray, is part of her parents' effort to give their kids as normal a life as possible, despite their unusual upbringing.

"Driving for Malia, I think, gives her a sense of normalcy, like the rest of her friends are doing. And my kids have got to learn how to live in the world like normal kids," she said.