or are travel cots absolutely shite? Single mum in air bnb and have had full on fist fight with said cot.

[TeachesOfPeaches]

Mothercare to be specific. Have given up and am now drinking wine with toddler sat next to me.

They are shit in that the mattress is paper thin. Can you look up the instructions for it? Maybe a video if you're lucky?

Don't forget that the side rails at the top will only click into place if the centre bit is in the raised position...

I've had the fight too.

Yes!! We got a super snazzy John Lewis one and it takes 2 people to put up so over complicated. We haven't even used it travelling yet as she's been in a Moses basket but for our next trips she'll now have to go in the travel cot and I'm dreading it.

The one I had, you couldn't lock the sides until the base had clicked down. Made me tear my hair out the first time.

they are.
I had that fist fight as well. and then another fight fitting the bastard in the bin.
our solution then was to use a folded up duvet on the floor for baby to sleep on.

Babybjorn

I swear it will blow your mind how easy it is.

Turn it upside down to assemble. . .

We have two one that we keep here and one that we keep at my parents. The one here is great opens like an umbrella the other one is an utter bastard. They are both the same make and model. Hauck I think.

Best travelcot I used was a £23 one from Asda. It's not light so you'd use it in a car not on a train but it's bigger than the Bjorn, sturdier and I haven't abandoned it in the Scottish Highlands like two other cots.

oh - your (skim read) title made me think you were a single mum in a fist fight in an air bnb.... totally disappointed to read it was with a travel cot!

Ours you have to make sure the middle is up, click in the short sides THEN the long sides the. Then the middle. If you dare do it in a different order it jams and you have to resort to wine.

You've all made me feel slightly better. I'm full on red faced and sweating. Much swearing . Unfortunately this piece of shit has been kindly supplied by the owners of my accommodation so no practice at all. Connected to the wifi yet no videos loading.

I feel your pain. One of my first challenges on becoming a single mum was learning how to put the travel cot up by myself, it was about the only useful thing my ex did!

Lottie this was the technique I was using after finding instructions online. Can't even get one side to connect. It's mocking me with its flaccid limbs.

Anne that will be next if I don't get the bastard thing up.

I never worked out how to get all four sides to lock on our travel cot - our DC managed to survive sleeping in something with four rigid sides and one floppy one, though

Ok make sure it is TOTALLY broken- no sides/middle connected at all.

Then try and do the short sides simultaneously. Then long sides simultaneously. It feels awkward and like it's designed by an octopus but if all else has failed it might do it.

The flaccid cot bed limbs of despair. We've all been there.

With all our ours (in diff places) it is much easier if you click opposite sides at the same time. So both short sides, then both long

Almost started crying red hot tears of anger. Tried reasoning with it, shouting at it, cajoling it and yet still NOTHING.

What's the model? Could you upload a picture? Maybe someone has one and there is some kind of magic technique...

My kids never ever slept in the bloody things.

Can you contact the AirBnB host and ask for their advice?

Ok deep breaths. If you really really can't do it it isn't the end of the world. Toddler proof the easiest room/section of where you're staying and set up mattress on floor. Call it an adventure.

All of the ones I've used you must not press the base flat until all sides are locked straight