Reality TV
Reality TV’s Strictest! Rules Kim and Barry Plath Set for Their Kids on ‘Welcome to Plathville’
Welcome to Rule-ville! Since Welcome to Plathville first debuted in November 2019, viewers have watched more and more of stars Kim Plath and Barry Plath’s rules unfold for their family of 11.
The TLC stars have established a set of strict and unconventional rules for their nine children, whom the parents raised on a rural farm in Cairo, Georgia.
The series description states that the couple’s kids — Ethan, Hosanna, Micah, Moriah, Lydia, Isaac, Amber, Cassia and Mercy — “have never had a soda, don’t know who Spider-Man or Tom Brady is and have never watched TV.”
However, as some of the kids grew up and decided to try things that they were once restricted from doing, relationships began to shift between the relatives. Kim and Barry’s relationship also struggled as a result of these shifts, with the pair ultimately calling it quits after 24 years of marriage in June 2022.
Keep scrolling below to see all of the Plath family rules.
The Plath Children Are Not Allowed to Watch Television
Despite their family’s reality TV star status, the kids are not allowed to watch television. In fact, the family does not own a TV at their home. The rule was confirmed on the show after Micah moved out and opted for no television, saying he had “never had one” before.
The Plath Children Do Not Have Cell Phones
During a December 2020 episode, Lydia, who is the eldest sibling living at the family’s home, expressed her desire to get a cell phone. However, seeing as the family has a technology ban, Lydia was not allowed to get a cell phone.
The Plath Children Cannot Access the Internet
The family’s nine children were raised with limited computer time each day, primarily staying offline. Kim and Barry do not permit their children to have computers, although they have a laptop at home that the kids must ask permission to use. During the rare occasions when the children do use the computer, the parents ensure that their kids can only access sites that would be useful to them.
No Video Games
In addition to the “no internet” rule, the Plath children are also banned from playing video games.
Cannot Eat or Drink Any Sugar
Another of the Plath family’s strict rules is a ban on sugar. The children are not allowed to consume or drink any sugar, including all fizzy drinks. Ethan, the eldest sibling, had his first-ever taste of soda after marriage. The star can’t even eat ice cream, as the “no sugar” rule is so deeply ingrained within him.
No Social Media
Despite the family’s ban on social media, Lydia stepped foot into the digital world in December 2021 as she joined Instagram.
Some of the other Plath kids had already breached their family’s rule against social media, but only those who no longer lived under Kim and Barry’s roof. Ethan and his wife, Olivia Plath (née Meggs), are both active Instagram users. Moriah also shares photos online too. Micah also has an Instagram account, who revealed during the show’s season 3 finale that he was moving from Georgia to California.
