Selfish Not Quite The Word I'd Use

The mother who recently gave birth to octuplets has denied being selfish. That's not exactly the word I would have used, but it's close enough.

This woman in her early 30's already has 6 children. All of her children are under the age of 7. She currently does not have a job. She lives with her mom. She had to go out of her way to have all of these children by using in vitro fertilization.

Now she denies that she is selfish by proclaiming proudly that she holds each of the newborns 45 minutes each day.

Wow. What a great parent. Holding a newborn for 45 minutes out of 24 hours. That act makes her mother of the year, in her mind.

I have raised two children. I know from experience that a newborn needs more than 45 minutes of holding per day. Here's one more question - what about the other six children? A child under the age of 7 requires a whole lot of attention. That's another voice of experience speaking. Any of you who have ever had children under 7 years old know exactly what I am talking about. As things stand now, it is going to be impossible for them to ever receive the required levels of attention.

Selfish? Quite possibly. Neglectful? Absolutely. Rise to the level of abuse? We'll wait and see on that.

So, put yourself in her place. Early 30's, divorced, no home of your own, no job, living on a disability payments from the state, and trying to raise 6 preschool toddlers. Would the absolute need to have more children overwhelm you? Would you really think your life was incomplete unless you popped out another one?

There are several emotions I feel for this woman. Unfortunately, the emotion I feel most for her 14 children is pity.