12 surprising situations in which you can use a travel cot

Start by picking the right model. The best travel cot will be lightweight and easy to carry, like the AeroMoov Instant Travel Cot . Easy to take to the beach. Pop it up (it only takes 2 seconds!). Keep the sand out of baby’s eyes and the baby out of trouble! It’s got a waterproof bottom just in case the sand is damp. Add the UV sunshade and relax knowing tender young skin is being fully protected from the rays. In fact, just spread out your towel and relax, full stop. But don’t forget you need sunscreen, too. Yay, you’re on holiday! Or it will feel like it, even if it’s just a day out.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re at a swanky all-inclusive hotel, or down at the local pool. Give yourself a break! Who wants to be chasing after a crawling baby or tottering toddler the whole time. Let them play, safely and happily, in the travel cot while you relax. Or let them sleep in it while you get your own beauty sleep right next to them. Or check your phone or get stuck into that novel you got for Christmas, at last. Whatever floats your lilo! Junior will be just fine, thanks to the AeroMoov travel cot’s waterproof bottom and the UV sunshade you’ve slipped over the top.

The kitchen is the most dangerous room in the house. It’s true. All those hot surfaces, gleaming knives and cupboards just waiting to be raided, the crockery smashed into sharp shards by inquisitive little hands. Solution? Use your travel cot as your kitchen minder, a safe spot for your cherub to sleep, to play with their play arch or watch and learn while you whip up something delicious. Or even just heat up the next feed.

So you thought one baby was hard work. And now you’ve got double trouble! With a toddler on run and a second baby crawling anywhere and everywhere, you need an extra pair of hands or a fairy godmother. Ta dah, here is the travel cot! Pop the latest arrival in there and you’re free to focus on Number One Child and give them some quality time. Without needing eyes in the back of your head to watch out for baby. With a cot with see through mesh panels, you can see everything. And so can they, so they’ll always feel part of everything.

It’s my party… or even if it’s not. You want to enjoy your get-togethers with family and friends without being constantly distracted by a wandering child just when the conversation was getting good. Or soothing a malcontent moppet trapped in the car seat they came in, because that’s the only baby-friendly seat in the house. Just think, if only you had that travel cot... Up in seconds, move it from dining room to after dinner lounge, put it upstairs when the party really gets going, until it’s time to go, go. Turn a potential nightmare into a perfect night out. Everybody has a great time. You’ll never dread an invitation again!

You love your baby. You love your dog/cat/house rabbit/tortoise. Delete as applicable. You love them both, but you don’t necessarily love them both together in the same space. Claws might be drawn, tails pulled, fur might fly, and it could all end in tears, even in the short time it takes you to just go to the loo. Much easier to keep them apart when you can’t keep an eye on them. Separate them for a little while, while you get on with whatever it was you wanted to do. One goes in the travel cot, the other goes out the back door. You choose who goes where! Good for visiting friends with dogs with nosy noses, too!

The shower. It’s your sanctuary, your little moment of me-time. Just you, the warm water caressing your back, your favourite scented gel… Maybe you even sing. (We won’t tell.) Your place, your space. Whoa! Enter baby, and your dream of peace is shattered. What is it about babies and showers?! Simple solution, pop your bambino into their travel cot. Keep them under your gaze, not under your wet feet! And enjoy your few minutes of bathroom bliss.

You’re in a field, you’re in a wood. You might even be just at the bottom of the garden. You’re having a picnic. The gingham cloth is all laid out, the food is beautifully arranged. And guess who can now help themselves to it all, simply be crawling into the middle of your lovingly created al fresco feast and grabbing at it with their sticky little fingers. Your baby! Time for a little crime prevention. Pop them into the travel cot and let them play while you eat all the pies.

Nobody loves housework. If they say they do, never trust them again. But it has to be done. So why make it harder for yourself by adding in the baby factor? Keep them off the floor while you mop it, deep clean your cupboards without ‘help’ from inquisitive small persons wanting to play percussion on your saucepans. Use the travel cot to contain their enthusiasm. They can snooze or amuse themself, you carry on being the domestic goddess (or god) that you are.

If you’re lucky enough to have doting relatives happy to have your little one stay on a regular basis, or anybody you visit regularly, why not leave a travel cot there all the time? Saves having to transport it every time you go there. They can leave it ready to go or pop it up and down when needed. The best travel cots only take a few seconds either way, and the bag should easily fit into a cupboard or tuck into a corner. Great for Grandma and Grandad’s house!

Paint that picture, write that novel, crochet that blanket… Sometimes all it takes to release your inner artist is an hour or so of uninterrupted space. So pop baby into their own space for a little while. Set up the travel cot next to your easel, your desk or your crafting table and they can nap or play while you create.

Maybe you work from home. Maybe it’s take your baby to work day. Maybe leave is over, you’re back at work and baby goes too, because the boss says ‘yes’. Maybe that’s because you’re the boss! A travel cot can travel from boardroom to business lunch. Going up or down in 2 seconds flat, that’s workplace efficiency to the max! You can set it up in a gallery or a garden centre, tuck it behind your shop counter or take it on the tube. Anything’s possible. We would never suggest leaving a baby in a travel cot for the full 9-5, but to give you a couple of hours getting down to work while baby plays, it could certainly have its uses. With a little planning and a lot of determination, you can have it all!

Have we given you a few ideas? Don’t put your travel cot away, just because the holiday season is over. There’s so much more it can do for you, all year round. And if you’re the happy owner of an AeroMoov Instant Travel Cot, we’d love to see and hear about all the wild and whacky ways you’ve used it and the unusual places it’s been!