TV Series - Aug 29, 2022
Olivia Plath has not shared much about her family or childhood in Welcome to Plathville, however, some facts about her relatives are provided. According to the details that she has provided, her early life did not differ significantly from that of her husband, Ethan Plath. In order to continue her journey of self-discovery and acceptance, she has largely distanced herself from many of her family members.
Nathan Meggs, her brother, was introduced in season four of Welcome to Plathville. Aiming to gain more independence and freedom, he moved in with Olivia, Ethan, and Moriah Plath in Tampa, Florida. Olivia and her sister have a close bond, and Olivia has benefited from having one of her siblings by her side.
The Meggs family reportedly believed in the practice of not taking birth control and letting God determine the number of children they would have. There are many families that share this philosophy, and this is a characteristic they shared with the Plaths. Such families are often known as "Quiverfull" families.
During part one of a documentary titled American Family Revival, the Megg family was introduced and shared their beliefs as well as their Plathville-style conservative way of life. As far as Olivia's parents are concerned, she is the daughter of Don and Karen Meggs, who have ten children in total. Karen is a stay-at-home mother, and Don is a software engineering professional.
As their family continued to grow, Don moved to Roanoke, Virginia, working at a smaller company, in order to have more land for their children. Don previously worked for a Fortune 500 company in Delaware. There are a few acres of farmland owned by the Meggs, as well as their own homestead.
It is a family tradition to raise chickens and cows. It was important to Don and Karen to teach their children the value of hard work, as well as how food is produced. Karen homeschooled her children and believed that their Plathville-style surroundings supplied all of the education they needed.
In addition, Karen ensured that the children's education focused on taking responsibility and developing self-sufficiency. As a result of raising Olivia and her older sister, she taught them how to manage the monthly grocery budget and plan meals, so that when they became parents, they could do the same for their own families.
As with the Plaths, the Meggs is also a musical family, with many of the children playing a variety of instruments. In the documentary, Olivia, 19 years old, explains how she was born the fourth of 10 siblings, and that she is proud to be a member of such a large family.
As she discussed her childhood, she mentioned that she comes from a large Plathville-type family: "There is always someone who is doing things right even if you are doing them incorrectly. There were many times when I was not being obedient and one of my siblings was, and I was always reminded of my mistake by looking at them."
Additionally, there was no personal space since there were nine siblings, so all of them shared rooms and possessions. The documentary also introduced Olivia's older brother, Josh Meggs, stating he is the second child in the family. Furthermore, he viewed the fact that he came from a large family as a positive aspect, as it taught him how to resolve problems and to give grace to others.
The Meggs family is deeply rooted in Christian beliefs and "Plathvillesque" values, and the church they attend reflects those beliefs as well. Through their church community, they have the opportunity to gather with other families of similar faith, sing hymns, and discuss scripture together.
