Edwina Bartholomew has shared a refreshingly honest insight into her first five months as a mother-of-two, confessing that daughter Molly had a hard time adjusting to the new baby.
The Sunrise star welcomed her second child with husband Neil Varcoe in March 2022, naming their newborn son Thomas.
Now he’s almost six months old and Edwina has returned to work after months of maternity leave, but she admits new parenthood has been a different beast this time around.
Edwina and Neil with their two children.
(Image: Instagram)Though son Thomas is “an absolute dream”, Edwina’s two-year-old daughter Molly was a completely different story.
“The toddler, well, she just turned. Our gentle girl morphed into a monster within a few weeks and I frankly struggled to cope,” she confessed in a new column for The Daily Telegraph.
“There was food on the walls, full-blown tantrums on the floor, screaming and that was just me.”
Calling the transition “mildly chaotic”, Edwina made it clear that – like many mums – her family struggled to adjust to a new little person in the house.
And while her adorable posts on Instagram may paint the picture of a picture-perfect life with two children under three, the reality is very different.
“It has been by far the most challenging period of my life, and yet the most beautiful,” she continued.
Gushing about the bond that’s already forming between Molly and Thomas, Edwina confessed she really does miss them now she’s returned to work on Sunrise.
WATCH: Edwina Bartholomew’s daughter Molly picks flowers
But she added that “the hours away from my kids actually make me a better mum when I am with them”.
Though her revelation that Molly turned into a “monster” when her baby brother arrived may surprise some, Edwina hinted that she was ready for the “chaos” back in 2021.
Speaking exclusively to The Australian Women’s Weekly while heavily pregnant, she said: “I’m not sure she fully grasps the concept of what’s about to happen.”
Now Molly’s a big sister and while it may have been a bumpy adjustment, Edwina has always known her little girl has a big personality.
Edwina has always known her daughter Molly has a big personality.
(Image: Instagram)“I think my daughter will be a powerhouse, she’s quite a force to be reckoned with already!” she laughed in 2021.
Edwina returned to work on Sunrise this week, delighting viewers who have been missing her during her six-month maternity leave.
She and Neil announced Thomas’ arrival back in March with a series of photos on Instagram, Edwina captioning them: “Some small news from our family.
“Thomas Donald Elliott Varcoe born on the 1st of March, 2022. At such a difficult time for so many, many people, we hope Tom’s little face puts a smile on yours.”
