The Big Kid Bed Move: Transitions without the 9 p.m. hallway parade

Lena Fairwood

The crib rail comes down and suddenly bedtime turns into a game of hallway tag, one more hug, one more glass of water, one more anything. This is the calm way through that stretch: how to time the move so it sticks, what to say when small feet appear at your door for the fifth time, how to build a wind-down that actually holds, and the difference between a stall and a real need. Steady, patient, and built for real nights, not perfect ones.