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Money & life admin

Assembling the cot without losing it

Open the box early. Lay it out. Then build it.

4 minute readExpecting · T3

Published by Dad Reckoning · Editorial standards and corrections

From the Dad Reckoning manual. General editorial guidance, not professional advice. Follow the sources linked in this guide for specialist and current information. About the manual.

Build the cot before you need it. Not the week before the due date, the month before.

The method

  • Open the box. Lay every part on the floor.
  • Read the instructions once, all of them, before you touch a tool.
  • Count the screws against the list. If one is missing, order it now.
  • Build it where it will live. Moving a cot is harder than building one.

The drop-side

Check it drops with one hand. You will have one hand free. Usually the wrong one.

A cot built early is a cot built calmly. A cot built at midnight is a cot built badly.

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