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++ UPDATED 8.08pm July 14
Yes I admit it.. I have broken the law and left my kids in the car.
What a response on the soapbox this morning on this one.
And it appears I'm in the minority.
Let me tell you.. I have only ever done it for a short time, on cool days, and always locked the car.
But according to the law.. I can be fined $22,000 for each of those times.
It doesn't matter if you are within site of the car.. or parked at the closest bowser at the servo.. it's a crime.
Guilty.
Just when I was thinking I was one of the few.. (along with Kochie when his kids were younger).. I went on a visit to McCafe at Moorebank this morning.
I walked in and chatted to a couple of mums with kids.. confessed my crime.. and they looked at me.
Yes they said.. they were guilty too.
Are we too harsh as a society.. cracking down because a few people take it too far and leave kids for ages in hot cars so it endangers their lives?
Or should I just keep my mouth shut and change my ways?
I know the law isn't on my side, so there's only one official answer.
Nat.

++ UPDATED 24 June 3.32pm 

I love trips away with the team. It's kind of like going on a school camp. On our trip to Brisbane last week.. it was exactly like that.

Beretts flew up early to do his ballet thing with James. That doesn't sound quite right.. they went together to do a story on the ballet. Then about 20 of us flew up after lunch. We were split into 3 van things.. and ours was last DESPITE Kochie guiding us in with his iPhone mapping guide. He thought he was sooooo on top of it.. until he realised we'd taken over an hour from the airport and the other cars were already at the hotel when we arrived!

Anyway.. we all had an amazing meal at the Sofitel, (so lucky to be able to stay there) except Beretts who was in bed early after a heavy day of ballet (yes, you heard right!)
The location for the show by the Brisbane River was fantastic!

What a wonderful thing to do.. to re-unite all those people for their commitment ceremonies or renewal of their vows.

And the highlight.. meeting Tuppy the dog. His owners brought him along to have pics with and as we showed on Sunrise today.. he even had a rose in his mouth.

Now I'm all for other people loving their animals.. I'm just not that much of an animal person myself and quite frankly can't stand dogs. But, somehow, the Pet of the Week segment has become my baby. Yah! Keep them coming!

But I'm warning everyone.. if your pet's ugly.. I'm not backward in coming forward.. and I'll tell you!
nat.
(See other photos from our day in Brisbane here) 

++ UPDATED 7 May 2.46pm

Ok.. so I'm sitting there for most of the show on Monday thinking.. "what's with the dancers"
I'm thinking.. no-one's mentioning how weird this is.. the dancers.. the techno music.. is it just me?
It was like an elephant in the room.
So by 8am I thought it was time to say.. they're ridiculous!
Now don't get me wrong.. they're lovely people and great dancers.. it was just one of the most bizarre things I've seen on Sunrise.
But.. the boss was right (again) they did get everyone's attention.. people watched.. and people loved the concept.. Reject the Recession.
I love it too.
I scour our soapbox during the show and know that you guys are enbracing it.. right across Australia.
If we all get our confidence back.. support our local businesses.. step by step we'll dig ourselves out of this recession.
Even the dancers will get more gigs!
Nat.

++ UPDATED 8 December 4.29pm 

Sunrise newsreader Natalie Barr has worked for twenty years as a reporter and journalist.

Last week, while reading the news for Sunrise, Nat took a call from a man, Australian traveler Steve Smith. (Watch video)

The phone call would turn out to be one of the  biggest stories she has covered live, since the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001.

AS IT HAPPENED

The caller was hiding in Mumbai soon after the terror attacks on two Mumbai hotels.

I didn’t know anything about this guy - It was a last minute story and I had a few lines written for me.

I was told he’s on the line and so I said what are you doing - where are you?

As he answered the questions, everything he said to me was new.

I didn't realise he needed help. [At first] I just thought he was talking about being a witness from a distance.

Then he started saying I saw the gunman throw the grenades ...

I was doing the late news on September 11, 2006. 

It's probably the biggest story we will ever cover. 

We talked to an  Australian in New York City who had heard and seen the planes. He had heard explosions but the buildings hadn’t come down. 

People were saying in my ear, "Something's hit the Pentagon"!

It's hard to explain the intensity of that situation. 

What's hit it? A bomb? Nobody knows much.  

People criticise the media for not having much info early on but you can only ask the questions. The facts always appear slowly in the first few hours.

Witnesses might not know – you are going on what people think at the time.

By that point I was thinking, did he just actually say that?  

He saw two men with semi automatics and saw them throw grenades...

Because you are on air - live - it's totally unexpected and I didn't think he would know so much.

This guy had seen the bombing happen from his café and then he's run for cover into a cupboard.

Then when he said "I need weapons", Kochie said "Hang on, we’ll get DFAT (Dept Foreign Affairs and Trade) to help you."

So Bron our producer straight away called DFAT to say you need to call him and she gave DFAT his number.

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++ UPDATED 27 November 2.46pm

Stressing about child care places

I know what it’s like to be stressed about child care places as many parents are having now with the uncertainty surrounding ABC Learning centres.

When I had my second child, I was desperate to get him into a centre.

He's three now but I remember being on the phone for days.

I called lots of centres, half a dozen, repeatedly. Nothing changed. They would just keep saying I was 'on the list'. 

But I just kept ringing, harassing them, until a spot finally came up.

But I has to find other options to take care of him for a while. I had his name down for two years.

Playschool, I found, is also somewhere you have to think far ahead to put your name down.  We only got our first boy in on the second round of offers. Second round! And they have three or four rounds. It’s like university!

All I can say to parents worried now is stick at it. Don't lose faith. And talk to other mothers.

It can take a lot of time, looking around, visiting centres to see which one you like the feel of. Talking to other mothers is the best way to find out which are the better centres you should be trying to get your children into.

And just keep calling!

++ UPDATED 25 September 11.46am

 
Cutest Kid in Australia

Today we had a story on gifted kids and yesterday it was about the Cutest Kid in Australia.

Thanks for all your photos. Sadly, the Cutest Kids thing brings out the worst in some parents.

They all start saying ‘My kids are better than your kids…’

I have actually witnessed people trying to convince parents to get their kids to crawl early.

‘Look! they were doing it an hour ago!’

‘You can do it! C’mon! Crawl!’

And it degenerates from there

And it happens right from preschool.

Some parents are begging to tell you how amazing and talented and gifted their kids are.

Look, I am sure some are and congratulations to them, even if they are, it’s not the be-all and end-all..

Just get a grip people!

It doesn’t matter what your kids do, how good they are at reading or maths - you need to value everything they do.

It’s not all about how high you can achieve.

I have always thought that going to school is not all about ABC and 123. It’s about becoming a good person and being able to deal with other kids in a social situation, and learning about each other.

When I was young, I couldn’t believe how social school was.

The lessons of the playground are just as important as the lessons in the classroom.

Learn how to be nice to other kids.. how to deal with the mean kid in the class, someone who doesn’t agree with you.. all the things we still grapple with as adults.

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Petrol station etiquette

On this servo debate (watch video) – I just want to say that if this person was at the back of the line, that’s butting in. But if all they did was go around, that’s fine.

I think we’re splitting hairs.

If you see a gap, GO FOR IT!.

As for my relationship with Mel, we’ll agree to disagree.
We did shake hands on air today and that was a great step forward us.

++ UPDATED 1 July 1.58am

A big thanks to the band - Scouting For Girls - who recorded me my own version. Maybe I should start my own fanclub. This would be our theme song. And I would be the only member!

++ UPDATED 11 June 11.30am

Nat on starting at Sunrise
Now, when I started, gee, that’s a while ago.
When Mel was away I filled in about 8 weeks or so and I loved doing the program.
Iwas in between things. I’d been on maternity leave,. Then was fillingin for the others, I started doing late news, then I was put off that…I filled in for every man and his dog. (I was 6pm news reporter for 8years,
So I definitely have long service leave sitting there!)

Then, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do next, so I was at home, sitting on the back step when I got a call from Adam (Boland).

I was so shocked and happy I couldn’t believe it.

Iknew because of the hours it would be life-changing. I knew it wouldtake your heart and soul working a shift like that, so I called myhusband …

He said, ‘Of course! It’s a great opportunity. Let’s go for it’.


Nat on Kochie
I saw Kochie said something nice about me in his blog… I always had admiration for that man!Kochie is a big pussycat really!

I can’t remember a time where I haven’t got with any of them

WithKochie, I am not good at lying, I can’t hold it in. If he feels I amgoing to say something he looks over at me across the set as if to say‘What do you think, Nat?’

I sometimes just go, “What?”

Nat on Mel
Mel and I are close girlfriends, we respect what each other does, so we also are close friends off-air.

We gossip, chat, talk about work, kids…


Nat on Beretts
Berretts and I get along really well, we sit together during the show, chat, give each other heaps,

I grew up with two brothers and they were into sport, they gave me heaps all day. He’s a bit like a brother. I like that.

We respect each other opinions. He’s a great guy and we’re on the same wavelength.


Nat

++ UPDATED 14 April 10.34pm 

To see the original (and very strange) video someone here edited together, click here.

++ UPDATED 19 February 12.44pm 

I have a favouriterecipe I like to cook for dinner - Ican't go past a roast. I'm big on stuffing pieces of garlic into the meat andfresh rosemary sprigs with olive oil.

The family doesn'talways appreciate it.

About once a week thekids will get up from the table refusing to eat. But the rule in ourhouse is you don't get anything until you eat what is in front of you.

"I don't wanna eatthat, that tastes awful, I hate that mum, why are we having this???"

But I used to get madas a kid, when my mum made certain things. Especially Bread and Butter Pudding.

We wore aprons todayon the show but I never ever wear something when cooking. I think I'm in favorof them, it's a good way to go I am just slow on the uptake.

As for role models inthe kitchen, I buy all those food magazines and pour over them in doctor'ssurgeries. It doesn't mean I make 99% of it. Cos I like simple, I don't likebuying five of the things.

I try to improve anduse what food is in the house already. Then I often find out ‘oh that's whythey put that in there!

My fallback, for allyou Sunriseviewers, is for kids - peas and pasta and corn. That's easy and hits the spot.Otherwise, for me, I can't go past cheese on toast with Worcestershire Sauce!How good does that sound! I have loved that forever.

And we have pancakesevery weekend. One with golden syrup, one with lemon and sugar.

Eating Vegemite Toast -as seen on TV!

This is a scandal. And Kochie should be forced to admit this.

You see, I've already had muesli and acoffee at my desk at 3.30am so by 7am I am starving. I get the toast from the café downstairs, but I'm the only one who gets shown on air eating. It started when I was pregnant, cos I was eating all the time (I actually put on 20kilos!).

But now they all think it's a crack up to see me eating.

SO THEY ONLY EVER SHOW ME! BUT EVERY PRESENTER DOES IT!