Octomom Nadya Suleman Sets 'Strict But Loving' Rules for Teen Octuplets

Nadya Suleman, famously known as "Octomom," is raising her 14 children with a mix of discipline, love, and a touch of old-school parenting. Suleman, who gained global attention in 2009 for giving birth to the first surviving set of octuplets, now has a household full of teenagers and strict house rules to match.

Before the octuplets, Suleman was already a mother to six children. She admits that her earlier parenting approach was too permissive, a mistake she’s determined not to repeat. "I personally believe I failed as a parent to implement all of the knowledge I acquired in college," she said in a recent interview. "I raised them permissively, which is wrong. You shouldn't do that. You should implement consistent structure, discipline, and consequences, plus love—unconditional love and acceptance."

For her octuplets, now 16 years old, Suleman has implemented a rigorous mix of boundaries and affection. Phones? They share just one for essential communication. Social media? Absolutely not. "It's toxic," she said. "I don't even like going on it. It’s so unhealthy. I don’t believe anyone should go on social media, or be allowed on until they’re 18 at least." Her daughter Nariyah, 16, confirmed, "She’s very strict, and she educates us a lot."

Interestingly, Suleman’s parenting philosophy rejects the self-focused culture she sees around her. "I’m a little more old school," she explained. "I'm raising my kids to focus on others, to value serving because the byproduct of that is internal joy and happiness." She’s also instilled an ethical vegan lifestyle in her family, both for health and environmental reasons. "We save money because we don’t buy animal products," she said. "But we’re ethical vegans, primarily for the animals and to minimize the damage done to our planet."

Despite living in a modest three-bedroom apartment in Southern California, the family thrives on togetherness. They enjoy game nights and movies, but the teens are eagerly anticipating milestones of independence. Jeremiah is excited about driving, while Nariyah is looking forward to working to help her mom financially. "I’m excited to make money so we can obviously help Mom," she said. Her brother Makai added, "In the future, when we have money of our own, then we could get gifts, real gifts for you." Suleman’s response? "I don’t really want real gifts. I don’t like the materialism. I love the letters you write."

While Suleman’s journey has been far from conventional—and often criticized—her focus on raising kind, humble, and grounded children is clear. "Confessions of Octomom," a documentary airing Monday, March 10 on Lifetime, promises to give a deeper glimpse into her life and parenting journey.