Octomom-The Anger Continues

Up until about a month ago, the prefix of 'octo' had very few connotations attached to it, aside from the shape of a stop sign, the 8 sided figure, and the funny, slightly scary but totally fascinating creature from the depths of the oceans-the octopus. In no way did the prefix bring with it anger, hostility, and downright hate for anything associated with it, until now.
In case you have been living under a rock, I am referring to the crazy lady that has been dubbed "octomom". The reason for her name? A lesson in base words and prefixes from the teacher inside: 'octo' means eight, and 'mom' means, well, mom. So, yup you guessed it. I am going to vent a bit about the crazy woman who recently gave birth to 8...yes, 8, babies. Reasons the woman is incapable of being a sufficient mother continues to mount, and I have to comment on it.
Reason #1: Nadya, as her name apparently is, already had 6 other children.
Yup, little Miss Nadya has had InVitro Fertilization to have the previous six children she had already given birth to, to which she "stored" because I can't possibly think of another word to better describe to living situation, in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Yes, because 2 bedrooms is plenty of room for 6 children and a mother. A mother of 6 found the need to have more? Her reasons for not just discarding of the eggs or donating them was along the lines of feeling guilty if she didn't at least try to see if they would come to fruition. Well honey, if hadn't already guessed from the previous 6 children you had, YOU ARE FERTILE!!! Was there really a question as to whether or not she could conceive again? I think not. I think she is a drama queen.
Reason#2: She is single and jobless.
Now before you single moms start to jump down my throat, let me explain. I am all for women having children, and being the single parent superwoman that I know every woman can be. HOWEVER, when it comes to 14 kids, a few with disabilities, not working, getting food stamps, living off the system, enough is enough, and there is a time when a woman needs to realize that she needs help. Did she really think that she could handle 6 previous children, give them all the support, love, and dedication they each deserve while having 8 newborns? Being single means noone to help with the endless diaper changes, no extra set of arms to lovingly feed the newborns in the middle of the night, and noone to help with the cost of raising 14 children. I'm sorry, but I have one daughter, and she is expensive enough for me! Does this woman honestly think she can love each child enough and give them the time that each of them deserve? Is this really about the children, or about herself? And you know who is going to foot the bill of her bad decisions to be the mother to her own baseball team? You and I! That's right ladies and gentlemen, we are now all part parents to the Suleman children. Our taxes pay for everything you see there. Ahhh...so if I have 8 kids too can I get free money?
Reason #3: She cannot provide a good home for 14 children.
I am a public school teacher and am what is called a mandated reporter, meaning that if I hear of any abuse, neglect, or anything suspicious with a child, I have to report it within 24 hours of hearing/observing the incident. I am sorry, but if I was the teacher of one of her children, I would have to call Child Protective Services on her. Can she really watch all 14 children at all times? Be sure that they have everything they need? Be sure they are safe? And a 4 bedroom house for 15 people? That doesn't sound like enough room for an average family these days, much less a family of 15. How can it be that CPS agents went in and approved this house to be an appropriate and positive environment for 8 premature newborns, and 6 other children? Sounds like a zoo, and mad chaos every second. No thank you.
Reason #4: She is a Drama Queen.
Seriously, the woman had a public relations consultant BEFORE she even left the hospital! What is wrong with this picture? If she truly had the best interests of the children at heart, she wouldn't be concerned about what magazine was going to get the first pictures of the babies and about getting out information about the babies to the world. I don't remember the media coming to my hospital when I gave birth to my daughter. What makes her so special? Because she is insane to have 6 and then have 8 more? So does that mean that we are feeding into her psychotic behavior? Every magazine that writes an article about her, or T.V. program that does a special about her feeds her need for the spotlight. What new mother do you know of that has her fingernails done a week after giving birth. Much less giving birth to 8 babies? I'll tell ya, I had a cesarean as well, and I certainly wasn't getting my nails done when I first had my daughter. I was more concerned about her, than my nails or collagen for my lips. Ya, I said it. She is totally in this for herself. And she doesn't look like Angelina Jolie except for the lips. Yes, Angelina may have quite a few kids, but newsflash Nadya, she can afford it! She can afford nannies to watch all of hers, and the ones that were donated to you, you kicked out for fear that they were talking about you. Hell ya...I'd talk about you too, psycho.
Reason#5: She is selfish.
Probably the most important reason that makes me the most upset is the fact that she is doing all this for herself. If she truly loved them, she would realize that she couldn't do this alone. She would admit that she can't provide them with everything they need, and that the need for public attention and the draw of the spotlight was what she truly wanted. I think, somewhere along the line, she truly wanted to be a good mother, have a big family, and was the superhero mother she wanted to be, since she didn't grow up with a big family. But, now it's just selfish. These poor, innocent children are going to be lost in a family with too many children and not enough support and/or parental guidance. But the most important pieces of this equation have nothing to do with her. Perhaps we all ooooh and aaaah over the fact that we are appalled not at her, but at the sadness of the situation. I cannot possibly imagine inviting cameras, cameramen, directors, and other strangers into my home to videotape and take pictures for an upcoming show when my newly born, premature babies and I are trying to bond. But beyond that, she is failing them as a mother in more ways than one. Aside from letting strangers in to "tape" her life, it has been reported that she refuses to give her babies baths, and goes shopping more than she is home with her babies. Has anyone asked the question: Are these children safe with her as a mom? Who knows if she will snap one day and decide she can't handle the pressure? What will happen to these innocent babies then?
Final Thought: And yet we, as media starved citizens, feed on her insane behaviors. I know how upsetting it is to admit that we are footing the bill for her thoughtless behaviors, but I think the bigger question we need to ask ourselves is with all the war, destruction, sadness, genocide, disappointment, homelessness, economic issues, unemployment, political upheaval, deadly earthquakes, and hurt throughout the world, why is it the media chooses to focus on this one slice of life? Is it because the other is more depressing? I think not. But I think our time would be better spent making ourselves more aware of the truly important issues around the world, or even right in your own backyard, instead of focusing on the lunacy of a truly sad and twisted individual.