Natalie ‘Nadya’ Suleman is doing her best to raise a family of 14.
Suleman found fame in 2009 – and earned the nickname “Octomom” – after giving birth to the world’s first surviving set of octuplets.
While raising six children born before the octuplets and juggling a full-time college schedule, Suleman faced backlash for being “this unemployed welfare recipient,” which she told People magazine “was not the case at all.”
Though she feels she “failed” her older children by being “permissive,” Suleman implemented strict rules in her home to ensure the octuplets were raised to succeed.
“I personally believe I failed as a parent to implement all of the knowledge I acquired in college,” she said of her six older kids. “I raised them just permissive, which is wrong. You shouldn’t do that. You should implement consistent structure, discipline and consequences, plus love, unconditional love and acceptance. I only did the latter.
“I shouldn’t have spoiled them. I learned the hard way. But I still raised them to be kind and humble.”
For the octuplets, Suleman instilled boundaries and was “able to implement both a combination of unconditional love, positive regard and structured discipline consequences.”
‘OCTOMOM’ NADYA SULEMAN SHOWS OFF GROWN-UP KIDS IN BACK-TO-SCHOOL SNAP: ‘BE PROUD OF YOURSELVES’
For instance, “They’re not allowed to date until they’re 18,” Suleman said.
“She’s very strict, and she educates us a lot,” Nariyah,16, said. “We don’t have phones. We have one phone for communication.”
Additionally, Suleman said there’s “no social media” in her household.
“It’s toxic. I don’t even like going on it,” she said. “I only do it to share and I dread it. It’s like I can’t even imagine the kids these days. It’s so unhealthy. I don’t believe anyone should go on social media, or be allowed on until they’re 18 at least.”
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She wants to teach her children not to be “fixated” on themselves.
“It’s very different today,” she said. “I’m a little more old school in how I’m raising my kids to focus on others, try to value serving because then the byproduct of that is internal joy and happiness, rather than, no offense to other people and other kids these days, but they tend to be a little more, let’s just say self-absorbed and self-entitled. I’m raising my kids to be aware of that and try to deviate away from that.”
Suleman, and 11 of her children, live in a three-bedroom apartment in Southern California. “We save money because we don’t buy animal products,” Suleman said.
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“Those are the most expensive, too. And it’s the healthiest. But we’re ethical vegans, and so we’re doing it primarily just for the animals and to minimize the damage done to our planet.”
The family plays games at home and enjoys movie nights, but a few of the teens are looking forward to a big milestone approaching.
“Driving,” her son Jeremiah said.
Daughter Nariyah, on the other hand, can’t wait to work.
“I’m excited to be able to make money so that we can obviously help Mom,” she said.
Makai, the youngest octuplet, told his mother, “In the future, when we have money of our own, then we could get gifts, real gifts for you.”
Suleman responded, “I don’t really want real gifts. I don’t like the materialism. I love the letters you write.”
“Confessions of Octomom” airs on Lifetime Monday, March 10.
