Top 10 questions for Nadya Suleman

February 9, 8:35 PMOrlando Parenting ExaminerRobyn Kurth

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From the hospital straight to the Today Show:
The Nadya Suleman interview aired Monday
morning on NBC. (Photo: NBC.com) 

Ann Curry's exclusive interview with octuplet mother Nadya Suleman aired in its entirety Monday morning on the Today Show, and while the segment provided a little more background to Suleman's story (apparently she blames her desire to have 14 kids on being an only child) I still had a few more questions after I watched the program.

While I never expected Ann Curry to get all Nancy Grace in Nadya's face during the interview, I kept wondering if the really tough, practical questions were edited out, will be broadcast on the special Dateline segment scheduled for Tuesday night, or were never asked, for whatever reason. Having worked for years in corporate video, I've done plenty of so-called "softball interviews," and I realize that the goal is to keep the interview subject as comfortable as possible. After all, a shrill and indignant reporter might make for great theater, but such a combative interviewing style rarely gathers any useful information.

That being said, here are a few tough, practical questions I would have had for Nadya Suleman.

1. Have you purchased infant seats for your babies yet?
2. What vehicle will you use to transport all of them?
3. Have you contacted your health insurance provider yet to get your children signed up for your health care plan?
4. Did you check with your city's zoning commission to confirm that 15 people are permitted to occupy a three-bedroom, single family house?
5. If, by your own admission, your parents gave you such a dysfunctional childhood, why are you entrusting them with the care of your older children?
6. Who would have legal custody of all 14 of your children should something happen to you?
7. When you finally do earn your Master's degree, what sort of salary could you expect to earn once you get a job?
8. Have you arranged for daycare or another childcare provider should your parents decide not to babysit your children?
9. Have you discussed the octuplets' arrival with your older children?
10. How will you support your family if the big corporate sponsorships and donations don't come through for you?

With the exception of question #10, these are variations of the practical questions that all of us have had to ask ourselves before expanding a family. In Nadya Suleman's case, it is multiplied by 8, plus 6.