Neighbours star Madeleine West reveals her ‘crafty’ self-isolation hack that keeps her six children occupied while in coronavirus lockdown
Neighbours star Madeleine West claims to have created the ‘ultimate’ self-isolation activity for children.
The mother-of-six, 39, has called her invention the ‘sack of distraction’ and previously used it as a solution for boredom on long-haul flights.
She explained in her weekly column for 9Honey on Friday why the ‘sack of distraction’ should be an essential part of all Australian parents’ Easter holiday plans.
‘The sack of distraction’: Neighbours star Madeleine West claims to have created the ‘ultimate’ self-isolation activity for children
Essentially, the ‘sack of ‘distraction’ is a zip-lock bag filled with dollar store toys, Play-Doh, a pencil and perhaps a chocolate bar.
Madeleine allows her children to play with their bags, which she fills with ‘crafty’ items, as long as they follow her strict guidelines.
They are only permitted to use one item at a time and must continue playing with it for at least 10 minutes before they are allowed to choose another.
Crafty! The mother-of-six, 39, has called her invention the ‘sack of distraction’ and previously used it as a solution for boredom on long-haul flights
Of course, the toys cannot be a distraction during meal times and must be put away until the children have finished their food.
Madeleine raved about the fact her ‘sacks of distraction’ don’t cost her a cent, but advised other parents to stick to a budget of $2 per item.
She listed ‘Play-Doh, packs of pencils and notepads’ as good examples of ‘sack’ goodies, and suggested snacks like ‘a lollipop, a bag of crackers or a chocolate bar’.
Advice: She explained in her weekly column for 9Honey on Friday why the ‘sack of distraction’ should be an essential part of all Australian parents’ Easter holiday plans
Madeleine shares six children with her ex-partner Shannon Bennett.
The former couple dated from 2004 to 2018 but never married.
Their children all have unique names: Phoenix, Hendrix, Xascha, Xanthe, Xalia and Margaux.
Good idea! The ‘sack of ‘distraction’ is a zip-lock bag filled with dollar store toys, Play-Doh, a pencil and perhaps a chocolate bar. Madeleine allows her children to play with their bags, which she fills with ‘crafty’ items, as long as they follow her strict guidelines
