married Barry in her young 20s, has been through a lot in the last few years, her time married to Barry was a long stretch of discomfort. The couple share nine children, and having dealt with some serious issues throughout their marriage, many have wondered if they’d be able to continue to be civil after separating and sharing custody of their younger daughters.

Originally living within the confines of fundamentalist religion, Kim, Barry, and their children were cut off from the modern luxuries of the world. While this worked for them for a time, the Georgia natives ultimately decided that fundamentalism was somewhat too stifling for the family and they moved away from the extreme version of their religion. Despite still believing in the tenets of their Christianity, the Plaths re-integrated into a society that their children had never seen before. Welcome To Plathville season 6 has featured Kim and Barry’s tense relationship, but their custody arrangement appears more difficult than viewers understand.

Kim Plath Is Seeking Full Custody Of Her 3 Minor Daughters

She Wants Sole Physical Custody Of The Girls

While Kim and Barry’s divorce has yet to be finalized, the former couple have been discussing the best options for their three young daughters. The older Plath children haven’t been factored into the divorce, but Amber Plath, Cassia Plath, and Mercy Plath are all under 18 and require the care of an adult for the next several years. Though Barry and Kim have been caring for their six other children together, things have changed in their relationship over the last few years, and it appears that Kim is no longer interested in them sharing custody of the three younger girls.

In court documents that were made public to the media, it was noted that Kim requested sole physical custody of her three youngest daughters with Barry. Though there weren’t many details about the request, it is clear that Kim isn’t interested in sharing custody of their daughters with Barry. Instead, she’s hopeful that she’ll be able to take care of the girls on her own, likely in hopes that she’ll be able to move around with her daughters as she pleases. Sadly, Barry’s been shown on Welcome To Plathville trying to keep his connection to his daughters despite the divorce.

Barry Has Been A Controlling Parent In The Past

His Behavior Has Been Uncalled For

In the past, Barry has been the more controlling side of the marriage on Barry was able to hide behind the facade of their fundamentalist religion for a long time. His controlling behavior wasn’t necessarily outward in the way that tends to be highlighted on reality TV, but in a quieter, more subtle way. Barry made all the rules of the relationship as the man and pushed Kim to parent their children in specific ways.

Hiding behind their fundamentalist religion as a backdrop, Barry explained himself using religion and the beliefs he was taught by the church. Rather than owning up to the fact that he wanted his family to feel subordinate, including his wife, Barry would make it clear that he was working from the rules that he’d been taught by the church. While Barry’s control has seemingly loosened over the years as the Plath family has moved into a more modern version of itself, his behavior has been difficult for the younger Plath children to handle as they have more freedom with Kim.

Kim Has Self-Destructive Issues Of Her Own

She Can’t Be Trusted With The Kids

While Barry has been a difficult, controlling parent, Kim has been growing more self-destructive in recent years. Kim’s behavior after her divorce from Barry shifted dramatically, as it felt like something changed within her intrinsically. The majority of Kim’s time as the matriarch of the Plath family prior to them leaving the confines of fundamentalist religion was spent doting on her family and doing everything Barry dictated. While Kim was choosing to serve her family, she lost a lot of her identity in the process and clearly felt that loss when the family moved back into general modernity after fundamentalism.

After Kim and Barry split, her life slowly spiraled out of control. Not only did she not have the same role as a mother as she’d been used to for decades, but she wound up having little going on generally, especially removing her role as a wife. Kim turned to substances to help her cope and eventually found herself with a DUI arrest under her belt. Pleading guilty and serving community service, Kim became more erratic as time went on. While she was trying to regain her children’s trust, her behavior was coming off as anything but maternal or trusting.

Should Barry Or Kim Get Full Custody?

Neither Seems Genuinely Fit

Although Kim and Barry have both had their issues, both deserve to be present in their daughters’ lives. While the minor Plath children have grown up with their parents together, they’re now used to a new normal where they shuffle between households. Though they may not be fans of going from one place to another, Kim and Barry have been doing what they can to keep the kids in a normal state of mind, giving them as much as they can individually so they don’t miss out on what it feels like to have the same upbringing their siblings did.

While Barry was a controlling parent to the Plath children in his former years, it’s clear that he’s become more relaxed in his older years. Leaning into exercise and conditioning, Barry’s behavior has seemed relatively stable on Welcome To Plathville. Kim, on the other hand, has displayed some dangerous, erratic behavior in the years she’s been on the series. While she may not be the monster some make her out to be, she’s made mistakes just like Barry. Though she may want sole custody of the younger girls, Welcome To Plathville’s Kim and Barry both deserve to raise their daughters.

Welcome To Plathville airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. EDT on TLC.

Source: TLC/Instagram