If bedtime has turned into the hardest part of your day, you're not doing it wrong.
You've done the routine. The books, the cuddles, the "last" glass of water. And still — the stalling, the climbing out, the 9pm that becomes 9:45, the feeling that you're trapped in that room until they finally, finally go quiet.
Maybe it's travel instead. The flight you're already dreading. The car trip where nothing keeps them settled and you spend the whole time bracing — half for your child, half for the looks from the people around you.
You've tried the obvious things. That's exactly why the next part matters.
- The bedtime that stretches long past when it should end
- The travel meltdown you can't walk away from
- The overstimulated moment when you can't just leave and find somewhere quiet
- The screen you hand over, then feel unsure about right before sleep