mommamia22: your bedtime description sounds very familiar.
I find that I need to get two things right: winding them down and the order of bedtime. Only you know your children and their individual needs.
For example, I found that one of my boys needs winding down and plenty of sleep. If I give in and allow him to play ‘just a bit more’ because he’s playing nicely, then he will fall asleep late.
He also needs more sleep than his younger brother. So i put him to sleep first, and send his younger brother out of the room to play until he’s asleep.
Another child needs less than average sleep. If he goes to bed too early, then he is unable to fall asleep, even when his usual bedtime hour arrives.
Putting two children to sleep in the same room *never* works for me. I try to stagger bedtimes or, if it’s getting late, put them to sleep in separate rooms.
am yisrael chai: I like your suggestion!