Natalie Barr’s emotional revelation on motherhood: “I thought I was a bad mum”
Natalie Barr, newsreader for Channel 7 and Sunrise host, has opened up about what motherhood was like for her in this Sunday’s issue of Stellar magazine. Barr wrote a piece for the publication explaining her story and the struggles she faced as a working mother.
She shared a candid post on Instagram detailing what goes on in the essay. The caption reads:
“Like life, the reality of becoming a mother was sometimes different to the dream I’d had. Our 2 amazing boys are our life and always will be. Every woman’s juggle is different though.
“Here’s part of mine in @stellarmag an extract from The Juggle by Steph Adams and Samantha Brett.”
The piece written by Barr is honest, as it goes into detail the struggles she felt as a working mother whilst dealing with personal issues.
“When I was six months pregnant with my first son, my dad died from a sudden heart attack. So, when Lachlan was born a few months later, I was still mourning Dad. I was so desperately sad. And so desperately happy that I had Lachlan,” the 51-year-old revealed.
“When I had Hunter three-and-a-half years later, it was so different. He came out blue and had to be revived so that was a bit traumatic. But we had two happy, healthy little men and we loved them more than life itself.”
It was soon that Barr realised that she wasn’t a fan of staying at home.
“I really didn’t enjoy staying at home, so I went back to work when each of them was about three months old. I was ready. I missed having a purpose outside the home. I felt that work was part of my identity and I didn’t want to stop.
“Work was my saviour in those days. It was the thing I was good at.”
Barr also refused to buy into the idea that she should feel guilty for being away from her children whilst she was working.
“I refuse to feel guilty for being away from my children. When I’m at work I concentrate on doing a good job. When I travel for work, I go wholeheartedly and don’t dwell on leaving them,” she writes.
“I have a phone full of babysitters’ numbers. If I get the call to go away for work, sometimes within hours of a terrorist attack or a leadership spill, for example, I frantically call and call until I find somebody, or I tell the boss I can’t go.”
However, despite working for the Seven Network for 24 years, Barr still had her bad days around being a working mother.
“There were so many days that I found it so very hard being a mum. I’ve also had some moments where I’ve thought: “I’m not very good at this. I am a bad mum, maybe I shouldn’t have become one.”
“Do what’s right for you and your family. Don’t apologise. Don’t feel guilty. Don’t listen too much to other people who aren’t like you.”
Barr also realised that she let other people’s opinions impact her too much.
“I had epidurals. I only breastfed for a couple of months. I went back to work after a few months.
“All those things worked for me. But at times I got very stressed and upset listening to other people’s opinions on these things. Everyone’s juggle is different.”
As her boys Hunter and Lachlan are now 17 and 13, she hopes that she’s set a good example for them.
“I hope to teach my sons that Mum’s job is just as important as Dad’s. And that they should show all women the same respect that they show their mum.”