‘Welcome to Plathville’: Lydia Plath Opens Up About How the Family’s Conflicts Have Affected Her
Lydia Plath, the 16-year-old middle child in the sprawling Plath family on TLC’s Welcome to Plathville, is best known as the most obedient and dutiful of the nine kids.
In a recent Welcome to Plathville interview segment with TLC producers, Lydia opened up about what it’s like to be labeled the “sweet” one in the family, as well as how her siblings’ fights with her parents, Kim and Barry Plath, have affected her.
Lydia admitted she knew others saw her as ‘sweet’
As for what set her apart and defined in within her large family, Lydia acknowledged to TLC producers that many people saw her personality as “sweeter” than that of her siblings.
Unlike several of her brothers and sisters, she rarely saw the Plaths’ rules as a major impediment to her happiness or freedom. Lydia was also more religious than most of her siblings, and she was held responsible for many of the household chores.
The Welcome to Plathville star admitted that others’ desire to point out just how obedient she was sometimes made her uncomfortable.
“It’s not necessarily hard to take a compliment,” she explained, “but when people do it too much, it can be like, ‘Why don’t you talk about something else?’”
The 16-year-old added that it was her personal faith and passion for serving others that made her happy to help in whatever way she could.
The ‘Welcome to Plathville’ star said she surprisingly related to her sister Moriah
While Lydia was generally viewed as the sibling most likely to toe the Plath family party line, her 17-year-old sister Moriah Plath was just the opposite. On Welcome to Plathville season 2, Moriah even moved out of her parents’ home, started dating a new boyfriend, and ditched her modest clothing for an entirely new life.
Still, Lydia and Moriah actually had a lot in common – at least according to the younger of the two. Lydia said she only felt closer to Moriah as she got older. While she realized their beliefs couldn’t have been more different, she respected Moriah for sticking to her guns and following her own path.
“It’s really amazing how even though me and Moriah are so opposite in everything, it seems like as time goes by, our relationship gets closer,” the Welcome to Plathville star mused.
Lydia felt that both she and Moriah had a strong sense of themselves, as well as courage to speak up about their beliefs. courage and her strong will
“We’re both strong in what we believe,” Lydia explained, “and we don’t easily waver to what goes on around us.”
The Plath kids’ arguments with their parents have affected Lydia for the worse
Despite her own contentment with her parents’ way of life, Lydia admitted that her siblings’ arguments with Kim and Barry were wearing on her.
Her older brothers, Ethan Plath and Micah Plath, as well as Ethan’s wife Olivia Plath, were at odds with the rest of the family. What’s more, Ethan and Olivia had finally cut off all contact with the Plath parents, leaving the siblings still at home without their oldest brother as well.
“The past couple of years, I’ve seen my older siblings having conflicts with my parents and it was just hard for me,” Lydia revealed, adding that the situation with Ethan in particular was “heartbreaking.” She missed her older brother dearly and constantly noticed his absence from their home.
More than anything, Lydia hoped the family could find a way to resolve their issues and come back together again.
“The more we stay apart, the harder it will be to come back together,” the Welcome to Plathville star speculated. “Family is so important to me. I just pray about it all the time.”
