Denise Richards Opens Up About Her Daughter's Chromosomal Disorder: "I Don't Know if [She's] Ever Going to Talk Like a Typical Child"

Denise Richards has joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and viewers will learn a lot about the actress and model once Season 9 starts airing. (Catch the premiere on February 12 at 9/c.) Without giving away any spoilers, we can say that one of the first thing you'll see about Denise is just what a committed mother she is to her three children. 

The proud mama, who married Aaron Phyphers in September, is raising three girls. She shares Sam, 14, and Lola, 13, with her ex-husband Charlie Sheen. Her youngest daughter is the 7-year-old Eloise, whom Denise adopted as a single mom back in 2011. Opening up about parenthood to People, the RHOBH rookie recently said:

"I’m most proud of raising my kids, especially in a time that is very different from how I was raised." She added: "It’s extremely hard to keep children grounded. This is not an easy time to grow up." 

Of course, parenthood itself is never easy, and the Beverly Hills mom also shed some light on the more challenging aspects of her family life. The actress shared that Eloise has a chromosomal disorder which "has caused a lot of developmental delays for her." She added: "She wasn’t able to sit up on her own for a very long time, and she didn’t start walking until she was 2, and that was with physical therapy."

Now, Denise said: "She can only say a handful of words, and there are times when she feels like her age in understanding, and then other times where it feels she’s emotionally 3 years old. It’s been challenging. I’m learning every day because they don’t really have a road map for her particular case."

In the end, though: "You take care of your children no matter what is going on with them. I don’t know if [Eloise] is ever going to talk like a typical child," Denise said. "But as a parent, you want what’s best for your children, and you just do it."