LANYA is 24 and has five children. She first got pregnant at the age of 14 with her eldest son Princeton, who is now eight. LaNya and her husband Tyrin, 27, then went on to have Messiah, six, Legacy, five, Treazure, three and one-year-old Treu. What’s day-to-day life like with five children? Tyrin said: “Imagine every day you had a tornado on the way.” He elaborated: “It can be, at times, a little draining, but it has its moments - there’s a lot of love and caring about each other.” LaNya shares her life as a mom-of-five on TikTok and has had a mixed response to sharing her story. She said: “I've had [people saying] that getting pregnant at 14 is not it, and that I should basically be ashamed of having five kids at the age of 24.” But LaNya won’t let these types of comments get to her and added: “It doesn’t make me feel bad. It just makes me feel like everyone should mind their own business.” The couple said their families are very supportive of them and though LaTonya - LaNya’s mom, said her daughter getting pregnant at 14 was initially ‘upsetting’, they are great parents. LaTonya said: “They are doing a great job and I’m so proud of them.”
Follow LaNya here:
https://www.tiktok.com/@lanya.simone?
https://www.instagram.com/the.lanyasimone?
https://www.facebook.com/lanya.symone.5
https://youtube.com/@the.lanyasimone
Follow LaNya here:
https://www.tiktok.com/@lanya.simone?
https://www.instagram.com/the.lanyasimone?
https://www.facebook.com/lanya.symone.5
https://youtube.com/@the.lanyasimone
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NewsTranscript
00:00I'm 24, and I have five children.
00:02What is your day-to-day life like?
00:04Imagine if you know a tornado was coming every day in your life.
00:10I got pregnant with my first child at 14.
00:14People have said, why would you do that?
00:16She's really ruined her life.
00:19That is really not a good look.
00:20It was a little upsetting, because it was a story about how I found out.
00:25It was very surprising.
00:27There you go, sweetheart.
00:29Can I get a milkshake?
00:32She says she wants a milkshake for breakfast.
00:35Girl, always start with me cooking breakfast, because they demand breakfast.
00:42Hey, girl.
00:45My name is Lanaya.
00:46And my name is Tyra.
00:47And we have five kids.
00:49The oldest is eight. His name is Princeton.
00:51Then we have Messiah. He's six.
00:53We have Legacy. He's five.
00:56And we have Treasure. She's three.
00:58And we have True. Look at True, baby.
01:00Oh, she's waving.
01:01And she's one. And she runs the house.
01:07Usually, for breakfast, everybody eats the same.
01:10For dinner, everybody is picky.
01:13So I have to try to get everybody fed.
01:16How much do you spend on groceries per month?
01:19If you put grocery and out to eat put together, it's easily going over $2,000.
01:26How do you split your household responsibilities?
01:29I cook some days. He cooks some days.
01:33I wash the laundry. And he folds it, normally.
01:38I feel like all he does is play with me. All day.
01:42He's a goofy, fun parent. And I'm the parent that means business.
01:47What's fun for you is this picture of the parents?
01:50Oh, definitely her.
01:51Oh, I'm the cool dad.
01:54All we do is have fun all day long.
01:57Is he actually fun?
01:59Yeah.
02:00So what is some of your favorite stuff to do with your kids?
02:03I like playing sports and playing video games.
02:07And I also like going to sleep.
02:14Is this a nice moment for you guys while they're eating?
02:17Oh, yeah.
02:19They occupied, so that's all that matters.
02:21There you go.
02:22If we can get all five of them occupied at the same time, yeah.
02:26We cherish it.
02:27There you go.
02:29How long have you been married?
02:31August, it would be five years.
02:34When we met, I was 16 and she was 13.
02:38I was 14 when I got pregnant with my first kid.
02:42How did you feel when you found out you were pregnant?
02:46It was just like a disbelief.
02:49Yeah, when I found out at first, I about didn't believe it.
02:52As it settled in, I kind of got nervous.
02:57How about both of your families?
02:59What did they think when you told them?
03:01My mom, I think she felt maybe a little disappointed.
03:06About the same thing, about disappointment.
03:09Pretty much like, you know what you got to do now if you got a child on the way and everything.
03:19How big of a task is it getting everybody ready for it?
03:23It's a really big task, actually, getting them all ready.
03:26You have one crying, you have the other ones.
03:29They running all over the place, won't be still.
03:32What is your day-to-day life like as a parent of five kids?
03:36Imagine if every day you had a tornado on the way.
03:42You know a tornado was coming every day in the weather.
03:45We got one kid that's always crying.
03:47We got one kid that's always into something.
03:50We got another kid that can't never find her socks or shoes.
03:55It's a lot of energy.
03:57It can be, at times, a little draining.
04:01But it has its moments, you know.
04:03It's a lot of love and caring about each other and everything like that.
04:07So, I always wanted a lot of kids, so I'm happy with it.
04:12Legacy, you like that stick?
04:15Yeah.
04:17Are your kids all well-behaved?
04:19Yes, for the most part.
04:21Every single teacher believes that we have the best kids ever.
04:25But they have their moments where all they do is fight.
04:34Good morning, my friends, and happy Wednesday.
04:37I'm trying to figure out why ain't nobody tell me these kids' last day of school is on Thursday.
04:43I share my life on TikTok by just doing day-to-day routines
04:48and sharing my life as a 24-year-old mom of five kids.
04:55Listen here now, I'm 24 with five kids.
04:58And if it ever seemed like I was trying to promote teen pregnancy or to have your kids young,
05:04baby, go call them people on me.
05:06How do you feel when someone says you're glamorizing teen pregnancy?
05:11I don't like that, because I'm not.
05:14Some of the negative things that people have said is,
05:17why would you do that?
05:19Bro, she's really ruined her life at 14 years of age.
05:23Being 24 with five kids isn't it.
05:26I don't care what nobody says.
05:28That is really not a good look.
05:29How does that make you feel when you hear stuff like that?
05:32Honestly, it don't make me feel bad.
05:35It just makes me feel like, you know, everybody should mind their business.
05:40Do you experience the same sort of judgment type stuff that she's experienced?
05:45Actually, I haven't experienced any judgment towards this situation.
05:51I feel like it's kind of unfair.
05:55Can you tell me about how your family supports you?
05:57If we need anything, they help out a lot.
06:00And they help with the kids if needed.
06:04Hey, I like your dress.
06:06Hey.
06:07Hey, Drew.
06:08You're so pretty today.
06:10Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh.
06:12Tell me what it's like to have all these younglings in your life.
06:16It's great.
06:17I mean, it's amazing to see them all hanging out.
06:20I wouldn't trade them for nothing else in the world.
06:23Oh, that is so pretty.
06:25That's a flower?
06:26Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
06:28Did you have any concerns about what you got when they first started dating?
06:33No, not really.
06:36No, I didn't, because my daughter's very mature.
06:41What about when they first had the kids? Was it kind of like, oh my?
06:44Yeah.
06:45At first, with her being so young, it was a little upsetting.
06:49Because it was a story about how I found out, but it was very surprising.
06:55What's the story?
06:57Tell us the story here.
06:59Her and her cousin was on a moped, and she fell off.
07:04I had to take her to the doctor, and it was like, well, do you know she's pregnant?
07:08No, I do not.
07:12Do you think being 24 years old and having five kids is a lot?
07:18Yeah, it is.
07:20Because they're not cheap, but they are doing a great job.
07:24She's doing a great job, though.
07:26I can't imagine myself with no five kids. I'm sorry.
07:29How old are you right now?
07:30I'm 30, but no, no, no.
07:37What do you think makes a good parent?
07:39I think patience.
07:41Just being there. Just show up for your kids.
07:44Would you like to have any more children?
07:46No, the funny thing is, after we had our first one, I want to start in five, like a basketball team.
07:55So, to me, five is the perfect number.
07:57I gotta get out. My knees hurt.
07:59If financial sanity wasn't a problem, then I'd have more.
08:25For more information visit www.FEMA.gov