Octuplets: What is your definition of child abuse?

(5-3) Updated list of octuplet posts

May 4, 2009

Hello:

If you are someone who still thinks Nadya is a “good mother” and “obviously loves her children” — or someone who feels that the “public should just leave her alone” because she is “doing the best she can” — or someone who believes her when she says the “older children are transitioning well” and that the “allegation of child neglect is unfounded” — or if you are someone who thinks people are “just picking on her” and that cameras should not be in the home — please read the following posts and watch the videos.

See for yourself whether Nadya has an understanding of the present situation and whether she has the parenting skills to cope with the older children and the octuplets even while she has 24/7 help.

Watch her interaction with her children and make your own judgment as to whether the older ones are transitioning well to the octuplet’s and the nannies’ presence.

Make a determination whether any of it meets your definition of child abuse/child neglect/child endangerment.

And then decide for yourself whether Child Protective Services’ investigation was warranted, whether they need to continue investigating, whether they need to proactively intervene or whether they should just leave her and her kids alone.

To my eyes and ears, the psychopathology is clear, the neglect obvious and the impending crisis easy to predict. Nadya is not in touch with reality, the older children’s needs are not being met and the lack of communication and maternal authority has lead to aggressive and violent behavior, which will continue to escalate unless intervened on.

To my mind, the only uncertainties at this point are: what the crisis will be, who will have instigated it, which child(ren) will have been injured by it and whether the resultant injuries will be permanent.

Thank you.

(4-27) Octuplets: Nadya discusses her son’s autism
(4-29) Octuplets: Nadya visited by Social Services
(4-29) Octuplets: Nadya jokes about being a “biter”
(4-29) Octuplets: UPDATE: Social Service visit
(4-30) Octuplets: Nadya discusses Social Services visit
(5-2) Octuplets: Thanks, but no thanks
(5-3) Octuplets: Biter at work