Sunrise star Natalie Barr has opened up about navigating life as an empty nester, revealing she went through a stage of mourning after her children left the family house.
In an interview with WHO, the 56-year-old said she didn’t know what to do with herself once sons Hunter, 19, and Lachlan, 22, moved out.
“It would be fair to say that I did sit around and mope a fair bit the first few months, not really knowing what to do, and ate a bit too much chocolate,” Barr told Who.
“I was mourning their childhood and felt a bit discombobulated over not knowing what to do. The job of being a parent isn’t ever over, but we’re in a new part of the relationship and had to learn what the different boundaries were.”
Despite missing her children, Barr embraces the new chapter of her life and focuses on her well-being.
Last week, the TV host took to Instagram to reveal she was “starting slow” with a new workout regime.
The footage showed her trying out a new at-home pilates reformer machine.
“This year hasn’t quite gone to plan. (Exercise wise) I’ve been constantly booking classes and then having to cancel because of work/life.. so I’ve brought the plan to me. A pilates reformer in my house!” Barr captioned the video.
The change in her home has also allowed her more time to spend with her husband, Andrew.
The couple is set to jet off on a romantic getaway to Fiji for their first solo vacation in more than 20 years.
“This will be our first holiday by ourselves in at least two decades,” Barr said.
“It’s going to be lovely to lay by the pool with cocktails and spend some time together – just us.”
Professionally, Barr is excited to continue hosting Australia’s top breakfast TV show and looks forward to what’s coming.
“What I can say about Sunrise is to expect the unexpected.
“We’ve got an amazing team and some new producers who have just come in full of great ideas, and it’s going to be a great year.”