No Meat, No Phones, No Social Media: Inside Octomom Natalie 'Nadya' Suleman's Strict Rules for Teen Octuplets (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

To raise 14 kids on her own.Natalie ‘Nadya’ Sulemansays she’s had to run a very tight ship.

Thankfully, the woman best known as “Octomom” for having birthed theworld’s first surviving octupletsin 2009, says she knows a lot about how to raise healthy, balanced kids.

“I was a child and adolescent development major,” says Suleman of what she studied at Cal State Fullerton where she earned her bachelor’s degree while raising her older children.

“With Elijah, then Amerah, and then Josh, and then Aidan, and then the twins, I kept going to school,” she says of the six kids she welcomed via IVF prior to having her octuplets. “So I was also raising them on campus with me, and I was earning my bachelor’s degree while taking 18 units in school and taking care of all my kids. I wasn’t like themedia portrayed, this unemployed welfare recipient. It was not the case at all.”

Top row: Josiah, Natalie; Middle Row: Isaiah, Maliya, Nariya, Noah; Bottom Row: Makai, Jonah, Jeremiah.Amanda Friedman

Amanda Friedman

But though she learned a great deal about what kids need to succeed, when it comes to her older children, “I personally believe I failed as a parent to implement all of the knowledge I acquired in college,” she says.

Suleman continues, “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.”

With the octuplets, also conceived via IVF, she explains, “I was able to implement both a combination of unconditional love, positive regard and structured discipline consequences.”

Isaiah, Noah.Amanda Friedman

In terms of discipline, “She’s very strict,” says16-year-old Nariyah, “and she educates us a lot.”

As for some of the things the octuplets can’t do: “They’re not allowed to date until they’re 18,” says Suleman. Also, “We don’t have phones,” says Nariyah. “We have one phone for communication.”

Most importantly, there’s “no social media,” says Suleman. “It’s toxic. I don’t even like going on it. 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.”

Isaiah, Maliya, Noah and Jonah.Amanda Friedman

She and the octuplets, along with some of her older children are also vegan. “We save money because we don’t buy animal products,” says Suleman. “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.”

Suleman and 11 of her children live in a three-bedroom apartment in Orange County, Calif. For fun, the octuplets often play games at home, work out at the gym, or enjoy a weekly family movie night. With adulthood approaching there are a couple things they’re looking forward to most.

Natalie ‘Nadya’ Suleman’s octuplets.Amanda Friedman

“Driving!” Suleman’s son Jeremiah says excitedly, to which his sister Maliyah concurs. But also, being able to work. Says Nariyah, “I’m excited to be able to make money so that we can obviously help Mom.”

Suleman’s youngest octuplet Makai says he can’t wait to be able to buy her something nice. “In the future, when we have money of our own, then we could get gifts, real gifts for you,” he says. To which his mom responds, “I don’t really want real gifts. I don’t like the materialism. I love the letters you write.”

But, adds Nariyah, “We’ll be able to buy everything we broke.” No argument there. Says Suleman, “They broke so many things over the years.”

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I Was Octomompremieres March 8, whileConfessions of Octomompremieres March 10, both on Lifetime.

source: people.com