TLC's Welcome to Plathville brought us into the world of a Christian conservative family of nine children. Amongst them is Lydia Plath, who has proven to be the most rule-abiding. Considered the "responsible one," many fans don't know too much about the quiet middle child. While the show has focused on her older siblings as they've departed from the southern Georgia family farm, she has chosen to stay behind.
Barry and Kim are the parents of the Plath clan. They've formed their own world around the children where newer technology, pop culture, and even sugar are banned from the house. Of course, as their children have grown, they've found it harder to reign them in. Their oldest daughter, Hosana, is married and now lives with her husband in Ohio. Next up, their oldest son, Ethan is 22 and lives down the road with his wife, Olivia. Ethan's introduction to things like Christmas movies and Coca-Cola by Olivia has caused an estrangement between him and his parents. Siblings 17-year-old Moriah, and 19-year-old Micah may be the most rebellious amongst their parents and have recently moved out to live on their own as well. Of course, then there's 16-year-old Lydia Plath. Kim and Barry have never had a problem with her.
According to Your Tango, Lydia has practically nicknamed herself the responsible one. She's often the one to play mini-mom and dad; making meals for her siblings, completing chores, and even listening in on discussions between her parents about keeping the kids on track. Her parents refer to her as the "equalizer" for being the one to level out the supposedly wild ideas of her older siblings with the religious and strict upbringings of the younger kids.
While her seemingly rigorous upbringing may have stirred a rebellious spirit in her siblings and any other teenager, Lydia has stayed the course. She's admitted on the show that she's happy and has enjoyed her homeschooled education and is even grateful for it. Not only that, but according to Your Tango, Lydia liked living on the farm, which is ten miles from the nearest town.
Lydia is often seen cooking and cleaning around the house, despite not even being the oldest child. She's clearly taken a liking to her role though. It seems that Lydia's parents often compare her sister Moriah to her. Even so, Lydia is rarely caught in any kind of drama with her siblings or parents, which means she's taken a backseat role in the reality TV series.
Lydia Plath takes middle-child-syndrome to a whole new level. While the 16-year-old has a great amount of responsibility, which will only help her in the long run, many fans wonder how she'll adjust growing up. The teenager seems to be missing out on those typically rebellious years. Only time will tell how Lydia shapes up as the Welcome To Plathville series progresses.
Source: Your Tango