WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President Barack Obama says he is a "good, fun dad" who at times might cause his two teenage daughters to cringe.

In an interview aired on Thursday, America's first father also joked that he sought a second term so the Secret Service could keep a close eye on 13-year-old Sasha and 15-year-old Malia.

"I think they would say that I am a good, fun dad who teeters on the edge of being embarrassing sometimes," Mr Obama told NBC's Today show when asked how his girls would describe him.

Mr Obama commented ahead of Father's Day - Sunday here in the United States - in an exclusive with Ms Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of Mr Obama's Republican predecessor in the White House, George W. Bush who also grew up in the glare of the public eye.

Mr Obama said he and First Lady Michelle are "really proud" of their daughters, adding they don't have to check on their homework or "nag them too much about stuff". "They've got their acts together," he said.

As for their budding social lives? The president says he doesn't worry too much about that.

"They've got their heads on straight. They're strong, confident young ladies."

Still, the Secret Service detail shadowing the two sisters likely means a better night's sleep for the commander-in-chief.

"Well as you know, from experience, shaped under this a little bit, they do have a secret service detail," he told Hager Bush.

"Which I joke, the main reason I ran for re-election was to sustain that all the way through their high school years."

In other comments, Mr Obama - who grew up without a father - said he promised himself early on he would be a present dad once he had a family of his own.

"I made a decision in young adulthood that it was going to be important for me to make sure that I was there for my kids," said Mr Obama, known for making a point of regularly having dinner with his family and attending school sports games.

"The one thing the girls know about me is I love them to death."