Fourteen or Eighteen Children

I have been somewhat comforted in the past day or so by the news that the so-called octomom in California has now purchased a four bedroom house with three bathrooms for her and her fourteen children. I am also happy to hear that Nadja Suleman has taken up the offer for health care around the clock for the babies from a volunteer group called Angels in Waiting. It seems that Nadja Suleman's decision to give birth to her fourteen children has given rise to much controversy, instead of joy, from both liberal and conservative voices. The controversy seems to be for several reasons: the in vetro fertilization process, the lack of a job for Nadja, the fact that three of her children already are receiving disability checks each month, and the lack of a father to provide emotional support. Compare her situation though to that of the Duggar family in Springdale, Arkansas, who have eighteen children.

The Duggars have been the subject of interest and praise for all the opposite reasons. This family has a loving and supportive mother and father, the family is able financially to care for their eighteen children, and the children are a result of mom Michelle and dad Jim Bob's desire to have as many children as God would send. There have been many other large families like this in past generations.

It seems the basic problem for Nadja is that, with the two public relations hires in the past few weeks, she wants to make money for herself and the children by exploiting them repeatedly to the many curious folks in the world who are obsessed with her story. I think both conservative and liberal groups all want the same result now that the children are here and growing steadily each day in weight and maturity: they want them to be well taken care of for their childhood.

Since the story is one that will be with us for the years and months ahead, we watch with interest to see what will happen. We wish Nadja our best at this point and hope she will take Dr. Phil's (and others' advice) that she get some mental counseling.