DDs bedtime become a war zone- pls help!

[Dappylittlemomma]

My DDs age 3.10 and 2.4 share a bed-room and up till a week ago were generally v good at settling after bath, teeth, story routine. Recently bedtime has become a shocker, both DDs winding each other up and not settling for over 2 hrs. Any ideas, settling DD2 first won't work unless I keep DD1 up another hour, which might drive me insane.

How about give dd2 half hour earlier bed time dd1 half hour later. Dd1 has special activity she can do that she only has at that time...craft kit, dvd, hama beads etc?

Thanks Swimming, that does sound worth a try, although small house and not sure DD2 will stay put hearing fun going on without her. I'm in southern hemisphere and going slightly insane home alone and put 'd'd2 back to bed 4 times and threatened to take away teddies and there is still a lot of chat/shouting going on.

A therapist and author, Aletha SOlter suggests children wind themselves and each other and us up in the evening because they are tired and have accumulated stress over the long day. She refers to studies that show that tears and crying relieves stress and suggest we let children cry and tantrum (actually, the other way around :) : usually tantruming comes first and may lead to crying), whilst staying with them and showing them we are there and telling them it is ok to cry and show their feelings. After having had a "good cry" :) they become calmer and happier and sleep easily.
Now with two it is of course harder but usually it is one more than the other who needs this kind of support, or they do not need it right at the same time. And even if they do, we have two shoulders to cry on :) I have to say mine sleep a lot better since I stopped trying to prevent them from crying and started looking at their whining and winding up as a message that they need to show emotions, rather than as a way to wind me up :o

Mayamama, that is really interesting and useful advice, many thanks