Octomom’s Daughter Nariyah Shares Rare Insight into Family Life

How Octomom Nadya Suleman & Her 14 Kids Are Taking Their Lives Back

The children of Natalie “Nadya” Suleman, also known as “Octomom,” are breaking their silence.

The 49-year-old’s octuplets, the youngest eight of her 14 kids, have begun to share insight about their mom and family life, just ahead of their 16th birthday Jan. 26 and weeks before the release of Lifetime’s I Was Octomom movie March 8, and Confessions of Octomom docuseries March 10.

“My mom had to sacrifice,” Nariyah Suleman, 15, told People in an interview posted Jan. 25, “sacrifice her life, her friends, herself and her dignity, just so that she can take care of us.”

Speaking while sitting next to her mom, the teen continued, “If any opportunity came that she’d finally be able to tell the truth, of course, I’d want to help my mom as much as I can because she helped us so many years.”

Natalie, who no longer goes by her nickname Nadya to escape the “trauma” of her past, per People, became a tabloid sensation in 2009 after giving birth to Nariyah and octuplet siblings Noah, Josiah, Maliyah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Isaiah and Makai, who were conceived through IVF.

Natalie is also mom to Elijah, 23, Amerah, 22, Aidan, 19, twins Calyssa and Caleb, 18, and Joshua, 21, who also has a son of his own.

In the years after welcoming her octuplets, Natalie faced personal and financial struggles. In 2012, she filmed an adult movie and filed for bankruptcy, which fueled tabloid attention. And her children were not immune from the public scrutiny.

“It’s very unfair how she was just terrorized and hated for just being a mother,” Nariyah said. “There [are] some kids who would judge and ask inappropriate questions about our mom and show us pictures and stuff.”

Their family, she added, would “just ignore” the negative commentary.

Gilbert Carrasquillo/WireImage

Nariyah said that nowadays, she and her octuplet siblings are thriving at home, where they are homeschooled online, and remain closer than ever. She also shared rare insight into their mom’s parenting style.

“She’s very strict and disciplined, and that’s something I respect about her a lot,” the teen said. “She’s one of the most disciplined people I’ve ever encountered and she educates us a lot.”

For Natalie, it’s the product of learning from past mistakes.

“Implementing structure discipline is something that I failed to do as a parent with my oldest six,” she said. “I failed to implement all of what I’ve learned in college and graduate school and was nurturing only. I learned the hard way. Now with my younger kids, I was able to implement both a combination of unconditional love, positive regard, and structured discipline and consequences. That’s imperative.”

Look back at “Octomom” Natalie Suleman’s family photos…

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Back to the Beginning

Throwing it back to when her octuplets where newborns and her six older children were able to sit still for approximately eight seconds.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Uniform Cuteness

Gap ad in the heyday of khakis or a flashback to Christmas 2012?

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

We’ve Got Each Other

Mom marked twins Caleb and Calyssa’s 16th birthday in 2023 with this adorable throwback pic.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Santa’s Helpers

Getting eight children to line up and smile for a pic sounds like a Christmas miracle to us.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Fur Baby Bonding

The Sulemans are a cat family, so Maliyah took the opportunity to do some dog-sitting.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Man of the House

Nadya snuck a rare recent pic of eldest son Elijah onto her feed in honor of his 21st birthday in 2022.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

It’s a Zoo in Here!

Sometimes having a large family can really feel like running a zoo, as Nadya reminded us in wishing Noah, Maliyah, Isaiah, Nariyah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Josiah and Makai a happy 12th birthday.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Look What I Made

Showing off a cat and crafts on the couch.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Young Queen

Nadya’s eldest daughter Amerah got her 21st birthday picture all to herself.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Compliments to the Chefs

Jonah, Nariyah, Noah and Jeremiah were in charge of the family’s vegan feast on Native American Heritage Day in 2023.

Natalie Suleman/Instagram

Girls Night Out

Mom took Amerah and Calyssa out for ramen (vegan, of course) in August 2023.