Edwina Bartholomew Shares Honest Reflections on Mother’s Day and Parenting Challenges
Edwina Bartholomew, a well-known figure on the Sunrise program, has always been a busy person. Her career, family life, and various personal projects keep her constantly engaged. After overcoming a significant health challenge, she opened a cafe and is currently renovating a property in Carcoar, NSW, with her husband. This property is set to become a hotel this year. With so much going on, it’s no surprise that even the most dedicated parents can have difficult days.
Mother’s Day was not exactly what Edwina had hoped for. She shared a family photo on social media, which many might consider an ideal representation of a happy day. However, she quickly clarified that the image wasn’t taken on the actual day. “This photo wasn’t taken yesterday. This was taken on an idyllic day when I was present, caring and relaxed,” she wrote. “Yesterday, I was cranky and short with the whole family. There were little pockets of Mother’s Day joy but I wasn’t my best self.”
In the aftermath of the day, Edwina reflected on her experience. She mentioned listening to The Imperfects podcast during her commute back to Sydney, which discussed topics like “parental burnout.” She found the content resonated deeply with her. “Often we see the filtered version here of magic moments and perfect kids but we all have disappointing days as parents,” she shared.
She also credited some of her coping mechanisms, such as the Ninjago Movie and Playschool, for keeping her sane. “There was more screentime than I care to admit. Starting again fresh today.”
Open and Honest About the Realities of Motherhood
Edwina, who has two children, Molly and Tommy, with her husband Neil Varcoe, has often spoken openly about the challenges of parenting. In a 2022 interview, she emphasized the importance of being honest about the “beautiful chaos of motherhood.” “I’ll always be honest because I know how it makes me feel when I see someone else who seems to have everything together all the time. And it makes me think, what am I doing wrong?” she said.
She acknowledged that there are moments when the pressure becomes overwhelming. “It isn’t a reflection of you as a mother that you sometimes lose it or you get upset about silly things or you can’t do everything.”
In a later interview, she addressed the concept of “mother’s guilt” directly. “You know what? I just don’t give a sh*t about mother’s guilt,” she explained. “People ask me about the juggle all the time, and I just say: I get a lot from my work; I love my work. In order to do what I do and provide for my family, yes, I have to work weird hours, travel a bit. I end up with a lot of time with them [the kids] because of the hours I work, so I’m often home by 10am or 11am and get the rest of the day with them.”
She added, “I just don’t buy into [mother guilt]. I know I’m raising two amazing kids because they’re funny, they’re delightful, they’re well-mannered most of the time. They don’t always eat their vegetables, but we try. That whole guilt thing … it’s rubbish.”
Embracing the Realities of Family Life
Edwina’s openness about her struggles and successes has helped many parents feel less alone in their experiences. Her candidness highlights the importance of acknowledging that no parent is perfect and that it’s okay to have off days. By sharing her journey, she encourages others to embrace the messiness of family life and not be too hard on themselves.
