New Adventures in Bad Parenting: Octuplets Edition!

This is one case that has been well worn, so I’ll keep it short. You’ve all heard about the single mother who already had 6 children under the age of 8, all through in vitro fertilization, and just had octuplets. This would be irresponsible behavior from a woman with a lot of support, and maybe it could be at least somewhat understandable if this had been an accidental pregnancy through usual means, but neither is the case. She is single, underemployed, in debt, and doesn’t even have an extended family to help her with these children. Her own mother thinks her behavior is unconscionable.

Here’s the kicker, though, and the part you may not know: she’s now asking for your help. After making the rounds of the talk show circuit, talking about how she doesn’t care if she doesn’t have a job or money because she’ll give these kids love (though with 14 kids, each one isn’t going to get a huge helping of love with her attention and resources divided) she then set up a website asking for donations to help her. So she had 6 kids that she couldn’t afford and couldn’t take care of, then spent money to have a doctor implant her with 8 more, and now after taking both welfare and food stamps wants taxpayers to give her even more out of their pockets. This behavior is unforgivable, and I doubt it’ll be long until she’s having more children and finding new loopholes to make other people pay for her irresponsibility.

People like her say that what really matters is that they will love their children. Well, guess what, that’s not enough, because nearly all parents love their children, and most of them love their children enough to give them time, and attention, and to provide them with the resources to have a home and health and education. It’s hard enough living in this world, and even harder when you start life in an overcrowded house where your mother is so overburdened that she barely has time for you, and certainly doesn’t have the time or money to give you every opportunity to succeed. It’s also harder when she can’t afford to feed you properly.

Child abuse comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s hitting your child. Sometimes, it’s neglecting your child or being emotionally abusive. Often, though, it’s enough to be selfish and to have too many children, too quickly, and without planning for it. She does this not because she thinks she can give these children a great life, but because she wants it. She wants lots of kids, she wants to be given lots of love, and she wants to be a mother, but being a real mother requires more than just having children.