SakshiSacrificing Social Life
Mother of 14, Natalie Suleman is in a much better place now enjoying quality time with her youngest children, the octuplets Makai, Josiah, Isaiah, Jonah, Maliyah, Jeremiah, Nariyah, and Noah. Natalie wants all her kids to be proud of their mother and the woman she has become. She didn’t want them to remember her as the persona “Octomom” she adopted for several years. “I was forced into doing things I didn’t want to do because I was so terrified I couldn’t support them and give them the life I deserved,” she lamented to Daily Mail. After overcoming all the trials and tribulations as a single mother of 14 trying to make ends meet, Natalie Suleman is as happy as ever and enjoys every little moment she enjoys with her nine-year-old vegan octuplets, as well as her six older kids from her first five rounds of IVF Elijah (17), Amerah (16), Joshua (14), Aiden (12), and 11-year old twins Calyssa and Caleb — who she dubs “omnivores.” In order to provide a more stable upbringing for them, she moved back to Laguna in Orange County, the place where she grew up herself.
Live, Fight, Play
With absolutely no time for a social life, Natalie Suleman is a very hands-on mother. This means she knows each child really well. “They fight, play, fight and play again like any normal family,” she related to Daily Mail. She went on to say that some of her kids are shy and keep to themselves taking after her, while others are more outgoing. Aiden is also autistic but this challenge doesn’t deter any of his siblings from caring for their brother at all times. In fact, Aiden and Makai have an incredibly strong bond. All 14 kids are aware that their home life is quite different from the average American household. She teaches them that it’s okay to be different and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But that’s not the only thing Natalie has taught her kids.
Holiday Season Fun
Despite all the hardships Natalie Suleman and her kids have to endure, they are a happy family. Natalie teaches each and every kid good values and virtues by getting each just one gift for Christmas and the other holiday seasons. “I’m focusing on raising the kids to focus on serving other people, to get out of their own head,” she told US Weekly. By getting her kids only one Christmas gift, Natalie believes she is teaching them to value every little thing. She believes this will teach them how to earn and not expect gifts. Besides, Natalie Suleman’s financial situation is why she has to keep things pretty simple during Christmas, but she feels blessed with how extraordinary her kids are.
Schooling
When Natalie Suleman has to send all her kids off to the first week of school, one can imagine that it’s far more stressful than sending just one or two kids. The 43-year-old shared her anxiety on social media with a picture of her octuplets posing just before the school day boasting their smiles and with their satchels in tow, along with the caption “Any other parents exceptionally stressed and overwhelmed by the first week back to school?” She dubs herself the “official bus driver” having to drop off and pick up so many kids from school, seeing that only this takes up most of her day. She also joked that her six older kids weren’t having it and refused to pose for their first day back at school no matter how much she begged. Luckily, they do smile for the camera during other milestone occasions and just for those everyday family moments.
De-Stressing
Being a mother to 14 young kids is certainly not an easy feat, and in order to deal with all the pressure and stress, Natalie Suleman likes to share her coping mechanisms, one of which is stealing an hour or two out of her busy schedule to work out at the gym. She posted the image of herself on her Instagram with the status “I would like to share about how I cope with inordinate stress, after being asked how I stay sane lol.” Natalie went on to say that exercise has always been a way for her to channel her stress. “The stress literally drips off of me, as I’m drenched in the end. Being physical has significantly helped me cope with so many challenges I’ve struggled with throughout my life, ” she added.
Spa Night
Natalie Suleman is all about being a strict mother, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be extremely fun either. One of her best pastimes is to enjoy a spa night in with her daughters and to document all the fun they had trying out new face masks and skin products. As a mother of 14, Natalie tries to give an equal amount of love and attention to all of her children, so if this means girls night in or watching a scary movie with her sons, Natalie is down for it. Her kids come first, and she’s proud to share that with the world.