What Makes an Extraordinary Kid?

As parents, don’t we all tend to think our kids are just the best, most amazing, talented, beautiful and intelligent beings in the universe? I know I do, and as a mom of many it can be difficult for me to focus on just one kid to sing the praises of. I’m blessed to be entrusted with raising these healthy, inquisitive and amazing little humans. All of my kids are unique and special in their own ways, but today I decided to brag on my middle child – my only girl.

When I was expecting RiRi, I found out about 3 months in that there was actually twins, but one had stopped developing a few weeks prior. Then, at 6 months gestation, I went into early labor and it was difficult to stop. I was put in the hospital for over a month because of preterm labor. Every other day I would experience labor pains and the doctors would rush in to stop the labor and give steroid shots to make her lungs strong in case she was born. Every day she didn’t come was one more day towards her being stronger and more healthier. Four weeks before my due date, I was released from the hospital on strict bedrest. Twice a week I would experience labor pains, and would head to the hospital for them to stop the labor – yet again. Thankfully they were always successful and she was born at full term at a whopping 8 pounds 10.5 ounces and 22 inches long. She was healthy and long, and came on her terms.

I’ve known since she was a baby that she was going to be musical and creative. She loved music, she loved to sing and dance, and she loved colors and art. Not much has changed since the baby years, but she’s also a middle child in a houseful of boys. I can’t even pretend to know how that is, but I’m sure it can be tough on her.

We’ve had our share of struggles too, RiRi was diagnosed with ADHD at a young age in elementary school. Thankfully she had a wonderful second grade teacher who recognized her struggles with reading, and we paired her up with a tutor a few times a week. A few years later RiRi was hooked on long novels and began reading a variety of series. She loves to read, and is an amazing writer as well. Because of her ADHD it can be difficult for her to focus in school, so often it’s a struggle for her to remember methods in math or how something worked in a science lab. As a teen, these are things that can greatly affect her confidence, but she has such an amazing attitude. She is fierce and embraces her uniqueness, and I’m constantly in awe of her. She doesn’t care what people think and she embraces who she is, and I love her for that.

Unfortunately, every day isn’t always perfect, pregnancies don’t always go as planned (which I can attest to) and sometimes kids get sick. Growing up in the Bay Area in Northern California and raising my kids here, I know that Stanford Children’s Health is the largest Bay Area healthcare provider with an exclusive focus on children and expectant women. Stanford Children’s Health and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford has been the top-ranked children’s hospital in Northern California for over a decade. Whether your visit is routine or rare, Stanford Children’s Health is committed to providing extraordinary care for healthier, happier lives and the Stanford Children’s Health doctors can be reached within 10 miles of most homes in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Your kid is extraordinary.
Show them how much you enjoy every moment together by creating a special video of your own!

What makes your kid extraordinary isn’t just the epic stuff. It’s the little things. The small moments that maybe only you see – and quietly celebrate every day. Your kid, and every kid, is extraordinary. Celebrate your extraordinary kid! Share your love, hope and pride for your extraordinary kid by creating a personalized video that captures what makes them one-of-a-kind.

Check out the video I made for My Extraordinary Kid!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.