One of the eldest Plath daughters fromWelcome To Plathvilleopened up about the toll Barry and Kim Plath’s divorce took on her after finding herself in the position of having to parent her younger siblings. Parents Barry and Kim seemed to be a solid unit at the beginning of the series, butin 2022,they announced their shocking separation.
As ofWelcome To Plathvilleseason 7, which is currently airing,Barry and Kim’s divorceis still ongoing.
Lydia Plath recently sat down for a podcast interview with Jinger Duggar Vuolo and Jeremy Vuolo onThe Jinger and Jeremy Podcastand spoke about having to become a mother figure to her younger siblings after her mom Kim moved out.The Ashley’s Reality Roundupreported thatLydia said the change in family structure forced her to rethink her role in the family.
Lydia said that at age 17, she was forced to take on a “mother role…I just did what I had to do to keep things going.” While she enjoyed stepping into that role,it was still very overwhelming. “I was doing what I could for others and I never took the time to speak my voice or understand waht my opinion was really,” she admitted.
“Being the middle child of nine, going from being the middle child to being the oldest [girl] at home at 15, and then when my mom left when I was about 17, [I took on] like a mother role…I just did what I had to do to keep things going… I was enjoying it and having a good time… for the most part. I was way overwhelmed. …
I was doing what I could for others and I never took the time to speak my voice or understand what my opinion was really.”
What Lydia Plath’s Admission Means For Plath Family
Lydia’s Words Are Critical Of Mom Kim
By opening up about her parents' devastating split, and the impact it had on the entire Plath family,Lydia is pulling back the curtain on some serious family issues. At 17, Lydia had to step in as a full-time mother figure to younger siblings Isaac Plath, Amber Plath, Cassia Plath, and Mercy Plath, who were all young children at the time.
The elder Plath siblings–Ethan Plath, Moriah Plath, Micah Plath, and Hosanna Plath–were all out of the home at the time of the split, which meant many ofKim’s maternal responsibilities fell to Lydia, who had always acted as a dutiful daughter in the family.
Still, Lydia was just 17 years old when her parents separated, and she had to sacrifice being a teenager in order to help keep the Plaths afloat. It’snot a secret amongWelcome To Plathvilleviewers thatKim leaving the Plath family home was viewed as selfish, and Lydia’s words to Jeremy and Jinger echo this sentiment.
Our Take On Lydia Plath’s Heartbreaking Admission
Lydia Plath Stepped Up
Lydia’s words on the podcast aren’t surprising toWelcome to Plathvillefans.Lydia was always the responsible daughter, helping maintain the family’s large brood. Still, she performed those duties under the guidance of her parents, who were still living in the home.
When Kim moved out, the bulk of her parenting responsibilities fell to Lydia, who felt more obligated than ever to protect her younger siblings.
Many viewers are critical of Kim and her parenting abilities. Lydia’s admission, despite trying to make it sound like she was “enjoying” helping her family, seems to hint at some distress on Lydia’s part, and it seems like something she’s just now able to process.It was an unfair position to be thrust into at such a young age, but Lydia has made the best of it.
Welcome To Plathville
Cast
Welcome to Plathville is a reality television series that follows the lives of the Plath family, a strongly conservative family with nine children that, while sharing some of their values, have begun to yearn for and seize their own independence. As the family tries to hold onto their old-world values, primarily separated from the rest of the country, they will reckon with their children’s newfound beliefs and clash with new family members from their spouses.
