Early Years
Chelsea Victoria Clinton was born three weeks early on February 27, 1980 in Little Rock, Arkansas to Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Hillary described the birth of her daughter as "the most miraculous and awe-inspiring event in my life". In the first days of her life, Bill Clinton took Chelsea for father-daughter "bonding" walks about the hospital singing to her, rocking her, and showing her off. Chelsea was their only child, and the first grandchild for both sets of grandparents. Bill's mother happily did "a lot of babysitting" as did the Rodhams when they visited. At the age of two, Chelsea accompanied her parents as they campaigned by car throughout Arkansas for the gubernatorial office.
Hillary has written that Chelsea's name was inspired by a visit to the Chelsea neighborhood of London during a Christmas 1978 vacation. She said that upon hearing the 1969 Judy Collins recording of the Joni Mitchell song, "Chelsea Morning", Bill remarked, "If we ever have a daughter, her name should be Chelsea."
Chelsea attended Forest Park Elementary School, Booker Arts and Science Magnet Elementary School, and Horace Mann Junior High School, which are public schools in Little Rock. She skipped the third grade.
Read more about this topic: Chelsea Clinton
Famous quotes related to early years:
“If there is a price to pay for the privilege of spending the early years of child rearing in the driver’s seat, it is our reluctance, our inability, to tolerate being demoted to the backseat. Spurred by our success in programming our children during the preschool years, we may find it difficult to forgo in later states the level of control that once afforded us so much satisfaction.”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)