Octuplets "Rants from us grannys"
As most of the world knows on 26 Jan 2009 a 33 year old women with 6 other children gave birth to 8 more. She now has 14 children all under the age of 8 and all by invitro. Here is a rant started by a friend from a newspaper article I think that some of the comments are really insightful as to the world she has brought these children into,
Anne Kettenbrink: Be careful what you wish for
Poor Nadya Suleman.
She has 14 kids, all younger than 8. Wow.
Chances are, you’ve heard her story unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, but just in case you just crawled out from under a rock, I’ll rehash it.
On Jan. 26, Suleman gave birth to octuplets. This in itself is a rare feat, and the fact that all eight babies are still alive and seemingly doing OK is exceptionally rare.
At first, Suleman didn’t want her identity revealed. Who can blame her, after the embarrassing details that followed initial reports?
According to The Associated Press, 33-year-old Suleman had six children before she gave birth to the octuplets. That’s 14 kids in total.
And those kids she had before? They are between the ages of 2 and 7, not nearly old enough to really help dear old mom with all those diapers and bottles.
Oh, yeah, and Nadya has never been married and lives with her parents.
Oops.
Apparently, Nadya has always wanted to be a mom. Well, so have I, but I never thought I should have 14 kids and try to raise them by myself while living with my parents.
Some experts say Nadya may be obsessive about having kids, and I can’t say I blame them for this diagnosis.
Really, I feel sorry for her. Not only does she live with her parents, but now that everyone knows the details of her life, it seems that people, and companies, aren’t being as generous as they have been in the past in helping other families with large numbers of multiples.
Apparently, these companies are afraid of being linked to her because a lot of people think it’s wrong that she had so many kids.
Now, I can’t argue that it’s not crazy for her to have so many kids, who are so young, with probably not a lot of help.
But I do have a problem with these companies treating her differently because of her situation. If a diaper company donates a lifetime’s supply of diapers to some other mom who has sextuplets, and then says it doesn’t want to donate to Nadya because, basically, she’s off her rocker, that seems a little unfair to me.
I know these companies don’t want to encourage nutty people to go and have a billion kids, but the big picture is, these kids have to live with her decision for the rest of their lives.
They are going to have to fight with 13 other human beings for bathroom time, quiet time, food, Mom’s attention and everything else.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could give them a few diapers despite the fact that their mom might be loony?
I read an AP story that estimated that Suleman would be about $1.3 million in the hole just for the hospital bill. Not to mention that the Department of Agriculture, which is apparently the experts on this sort of thing, estimates that it would cost a single mother another $1.3 million to $2.7 million to raise 14 kids to age 17.
That’s a lot of help she’s going to need.
And that’s assuming that none of them are like her and crashing with Mom when they’re 33.
Address correspondence to Anne E. Kettenbrink, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802, or via e-mail, akettenbrink@joplinglobe.com.
http://www.joplinglobe.com/weekend/local_story_037121156.html?start:int=15
Mt Comment:
If society is expected to take care of these children, then perhaps the children should be put in a better home. Apparently Suleman doesn't seem to understand these children are not toys, and she can't just collect babies because she is obsessed with children. There are other ways; better ways to be with children... everything from adoption to working in a daycare. Having children just because she physically can, doesn't mean she should. I don't understand how someone with a back injury was able to carry eight babies in a pregnancy. She insists that once she completes her schooling she will be able to support these 14 kids. What is she going to do in the meantime? And how long before she will finish going to school, even be able to go back to school? Who will be taking care of the children when she does? I've gone to college while having just two babies at home, plus running a daycare and it is hard. And I didn't even have 8 babies all the same age. Give me a break. She had these babies with the idea of getting attention and freebies, and hoping for fame and fortune.
No one should have children until they are emotionally and financially ready to handle the responsibility.
Raising children takes time, energy, money and commitment. This is why we have so many children who are abused, neglected and in trouble, because people have forgotten that. You have to have a license to drive a car, have a pet and catch a fish, but any idiot can have a child, and then expect the rest of the world to take care of him/her when they get bored with being a parent.
Cindi
Anne Kettenbrink: Be careful what you wish for
Poor Nadya Suleman.
She has 14 kids, all younger than 8. Wow.
Chances are, you’ve heard her story unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, but just in case you just crawled out from under a rock, I’ll rehash it.
On Jan. 26, Suleman gave birth to octuplets. This in itself is a rare feat, and the fact that all eight babies are still alive and seemingly doing OK is exceptionally rare.
At first, Suleman didn’t want her identity revealed. Who can blame her, after the embarrassing details that followed initial reports?
According to The Associated Press, 33-year-old Suleman had six children before she gave birth to the octuplets. That’s 14 kids in total.
And those kids she had before? They are between the ages of 2 and 7, not nearly old enough to really help dear old mom with all those diapers and bottles.
Oh, yeah, and Nadya has never been married and lives with her parents.
Oops.
Apparently, Nadya has always wanted to be a mom. Well, so have I, but I never thought I should have 14 kids and try to raise them by myself while living with my parents.
Some experts say Nadya may be obsessive about having kids, and I can’t say I blame them for this diagnosis.
Really, I feel sorry for her. Not only does she live with her parents, but now that everyone knows the details of her life, it seems that people, and companies, aren’t being as generous as they have been in the past in helping other families with large numbers of multiples.
Apparently, these companies are afraid of being linked to her because a lot of people think it’s wrong that she had so many kids.
Now, I can’t argue that it’s not crazy for her to have so many kids, who are so young, with probably not a lot of help.
But I do have a problem with these companies treating her differently because of her situation. If a diaper company donates a lifetime’s supply of diapers to some other mom who has sextuplets, and then says it doesn’t want to donate to Nadya because, basically, she’s off her rocker, that seems a little unfair to me.
I know these companies don’t want to encourage nutty people to go and have a billion kids, but the big picture is, these kids have to live with her decision for the rest of their lives.
They are going to have to fight with 13 other human beings for bathroom time, quiet time, food, Mom’s attention and everything else.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could give them a few diapers despite the fact that their mom might be loony?
I read an AP story that estimated that Suleman would be about $1.3 million in the hole just for the hospital bill. Not to mention that the Department of Agriculture, which is apparently the experts on this sort of thing, estimates that it would cost a single mother another $1.3 million to $2.7 million to raise 14 kids to age 17.
That’s a lot of help she’s going to need.
And that’s assuming that none of them are like her and crashing with Mom when they’re 33.
Address correspondence to Anne E. Kettenbrink, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, MO 64802, or via e-mail, akettenbrink@joplinglobe.c
http://www.joplinglobe.com
Mt Comment:
If society is expected to take care of these children, then perhaps the children should be put in a better home. Apparently Suleman doesn't seem to understand these children are not toys, and she can't just collect babies because she is obsessed with children. There are other ways; better ways to be with children... everything from adoption to working in a daycare. Having children just because she physically can, doesn't mean she should. I don't understand how someone with a back injury was able to carry eight babies in a pregnancy. She insists that once she completes her schooling she will be able to support these 14 kids. What is she going to do in the meantime? And how long before she will finish going to school, even be able to go back to school? Who will be taking care of the children when she does? I've gone to college while having just two babies at home, plus running a daycare and it is hard. And I didn't even have 8 babies all the same age. Give me a break. She had these babies with the idea of getting attention and freebies, and hoping for fame and fortune.
No one should have children until they are emotionally and financially ready to handle the responsibility.
Raising children takes time, energy, money and commitment. This is why we have so many children who are abused, neglected and in trouble, because people have forgotten that. You have to have a license to drive a car, have a pet and catch a fish, but any idiot can have a child, and then expect the rest of the world to take care of him/her when they get bored with being a parent.
Cindi
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