While University of Massachusetts Amherst freshman Meg Fallon was growing up, there was rarely a dull moment. Fallon, who is the second oldest of seven children, experienced a childhood that has certainly become unusual in the United States today -- living with six siblings and constantly juggling the intensity of a life surrounded by people in a bustling household. For Fallon, there were definite unique experiences that came with growing up as a part of such a large unit.
"We didn't get to go on as many vacations to cool places, and a lot of times we had to pass up activities because they were too expensive," Fallon said. "I also bought a lot of my own clothes. I've had a job since I was 12. I had a lot more responsibilities as a kid than my friends did."
When it comes to family size, the idea of how big is too big has long been debated. Some parenting and family planning experts argue for the benefits of multiple siblings, noting the importance of a support system.
Meanwhile, green gurus like British environmentalist Jonathon Porritt have said that parents with more than two children are irresponsible, and population control advocates and environmentalists push for size regulations. Additionally, recent reality television shows and other news stories in the media have created, or at least awakened, stigmas about large family size being associated with religious fanaticism and other extreme behavior.
The issue of appropriate family size was thrust into the media spotlight with the Jan. 26 birth of octuplets to 33-year-old Nadya Suleman. Suleman's eight newborns, all of which are reported on her personal Web site to be "healthy and growing stronger by the day," recently joined her six other children, ranging in age from two to seven years old, at her parents' three-bedroom home in California.
Her 15-person, single-parent family has generated significant controversy. Suleman, who underwent in vitro fertilization, had six embryos implanted by her doctor, Michael Kamrava. Every one of the implanted embryos proved to be viable -- with two of the embryos resulting in twins. According to the American Pregnancy Association, no more than four embryos should ever be implanted, and for women under 35 years of age, just two embryos should suffice.
Kamrava is currently under investigation by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). "Our guidelines provide the flexibility to give each patient treatment individualized to her needs and her best chance to become pregnant without risking high-order multiple pregnancy," ASRM President Dr. R. Dale McClure said in a statement. "It seems that the guidelines may not have been followed in Ms. Suleman's case."
Suleman, however, defended her doctor in an interview on the Today Show, saying that Kamrava helped her to realize her dream of becoming a mother.
She also dismissed critics' claims that, by having so many children, she acted unethically, irresponsibly and selfishly.
Freshman Katie Lotz said that she does not believe that Suleman is qualified to handle her many offspring. "She already had six kids at home -- what does she need eight more for? It's kind of ridiculous and irresponsible," she said. "If she doesn't have the finances to support every kid, then it's not fair to them."
According to a 2009 survey by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average single-parent household with a total income of less than $40,000 per year spends $118,579 to raise a child from birth to age 18. Based on the report, Suleman can expect to spend over one and a half million dollars raising her children -- an estimate which excludes possible college tuitions and taxes.
Regardless of the large price tag that comes with having children, many Jumbos believe that family size is a private choice.
"It's the parents' decision. It's a civil liberty thing to be able to decide for yourself how many kids you want to have," sophomore Evan Lim, who has one sibling, said.
Lim noted that limitations on family size could lead to social justice dilemmas. "Limits here would be akin to the one child policy in China, and that has caused major problems with the male to female imbalance," he said. "That exact problem might not happen here, but other problems would."
Lotz agreed with Lim's assessment. "I don't think that family size is something you can put a law on," she said. "Everyone's different. Some people can handle things that other people can't."
Freshman Shaun Engstrom, an only child, also rejected the idea of regulations but suggested an alternative plan. "I think we should have tax incentives for parents with two or less children," she said. "Having too many kids is ... irresponsible because of overpopulation and also because you want to consider the child's quality of life. For me, being an only child has been great -- my parents can pay for college."
Some students said that they understood the desire to have a large family that many citizens across the country seem to feel. The number of members of the American family has actually seen a slight increase over the past five years, according to data from the U.S. Census.
Freshman Laura Liddell, who is one of four children, said that she appreciated the variety that comes from being part of a big family. "It was nice to have a lot of people you could rely on," she said. "I also think I would have gotten sick of just one sibling."
To Fallon, who envisions herself with a smaller future family, there are both positive and negative aspects of growing up surrounded by siblings. "I have a strong support group, but a lot of times I get overwhelmed by all of the noise. I'm also constantly surrounded by people, and that makes me claustrophobic. But on the positive side, you never feel alone."
