Octuplets: Mother of All Issues
America’s latest responsibility riddle is defined by simple math and compounded by complex issues:
1 single mother
8 newborn octuplets
14 total offspring
15 minutes of fame
From miracle mom to mother of all outrage, Nadya Suleman’s spectacular fall from public grace continues in an avalanche of revelations: disability, inability, food stamps, no job, no spouse, and no viable plan for raising 14 children under the age of eight.
The responsibility dragnet snared her fertility specialist—at a clinic now under government scrutiny—and settled squarely on Ms. Suleman, who declared in a TV interview that she is a responsible parent, even though California taxpayers have been asked to pay the million dollar-plus hospital bill for her eight preemies.
“I personally do not believe I’m irresponsible,” Ms. Suleman said. “Everything I do revolves around my children.” Saying she was a single parent by choice, she questioned a perceived double standard between her unconventional lifestyle and that of couples who experience multiple births. “Why are they exempt from being called irresponsible?” she asked.
Selfish. Unstable. Irresponsible. The opinions continue to pour in by the thousands on talk shows and blogs, in headlines and on the street: Put her in therapy. Change the laws. Take her kids away. In a season of Wall Street bailouts, a Sesame Street bailout for the 14 kids of America’s mega-mom has not only angered many people, but, as one journalist put it, “exposes how publicly divided and personally judgmental we are” about the reproductive decisions of others and the question of how many children is too many.
“The ‘right’ number seems to lie somewhere between China and Nadya Suleman,” wrote another journalist. “But on what do we base that belief? The ability to pay for the children? The limits on the attention they will receive? How many is too many, and who gets to decide?”
Tell us what you think: Is there such a thing as too many children? Other families receive welfare, food stamps, and disability payments for their children; should Nadya Suleman be held to a different standard? Should Ms. Suleman’s reproduction—usually a private matter of personal responsibility—be the subject of such public debate?
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LETS HELP THESE BABIES ! ! !
The fact remains there are 8 newborns and 6 children that need help.
I’m ashamed as a society that this isn’t the issue in the forefront at this immediate time !! There are thousands of babies and children who have received help, some from parents who aren’t US citizens yet, and continue to have more and more children.
Shame on the “news” programs and media that have Nayda and her mother disagreeing on how or why the babies got here. Shame on them for flying over their home. How does that help? They’re here, let’s help them get the care they need !!!
Beth | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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I agree with the idea that the doctor should foot the bill for raising and providing staff and care for these children. Another thing, who was paying for the IVF? That cannot be a cheap process, especially in California.
Sheila | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Yes there should be no limit on how many kids someone can have. But she has no job, about ready to lose her home, and can’t pay any of the hospital bill. Who will do that?
J | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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this is how i feel.....
I believe that if she can tend to her young ones that it really isn’t a big deal. I feel like she should go out into the real world and find her a job to support her children.
ivonne | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Who paid for the invitro?
From what I have been told, if someone is already on government assistance, then that will pay for the invitro. In other words, we as tax payers pay for the invitro?
Todd | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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It is for me to judge, if I am a tax payer in this country that is under a huge financial stress. I keep the thought always in the back of my head thinking that I’m still going to have job to be able to support my own child.
Todd | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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Fourteen: Growing Up Alone In a Crowd
The title of my comments is the title of a very good autobiography by a man who, like me, survived growing up in a mega-family.
The book is not hard to find and I highly recommend it. I suppose the parents of all of the mega-families start out believing that they will be able to provide adequate emotional support for their children. But, think about it.
People who are NOT delusional and neurotic and struggling to compensate for some emotional void in their lives have only the same 24 hours in a day as the rest of us. Research implies that every child in addition to the number of children equal to the number of adults in the household is detrimental to those children. Three or four? Healthy adults should be able to compensate for the dilution of parental support with extra effort, especially if they are aware that extra effort will be needed. If there are more children then that, there probably will need to be some other arrangement or risk the children suffering from emotional neglect.
Eleanor | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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I believe that as long as she is a good mother and she has people out there that are willing to support her and look out for her, I think that she will do just fine. I think people look at single mothers as a bad thing, and obviously where there is a will there is way and i believe that she will find one. I can’t believe how many people have opinions on this matte. Okay so it’s the taxpayers money but no one is complaining how we have game shows that give people millions of dollars when there are children in 3rd world countries that are dying and we are not willing to do anything about it. I just wish for sure this country would look at the issue’s that are right in front of them, instead of judging everyone else. Focus their time on a cause that is worth while!
leigha | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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I think that this is a ridiculous comment. Society has given her the right to have 14 children. She can take care of the 6 children she currently has and am sure she can figure it out.. Who are you to say that she is not a responsible parent.. What gives you the right to judge and base opinions??
alsish` | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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She doesn't know she has lots of problem!
She doesn’t know she has a problem which is her biggest problem. She needed to take care of herself first. Poor 14 kids! I agree we shouldn’t help her. She needs to realize what she did to her 14 children’s lives. I watched Dr. Phil’s interview with her and she thinks she is very smart! I don’t think so! She abuses social welfare totally and this makes people very upset. Shame on her! This girl needs to not only to find a job , but needs several full-time jobs if she can, to support her kids. Don’t eat our tax money!
Mercy | 8 months, 3 weeks ago
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