Swapping bedtimes so 3yo goes down before baby. How?

[minipie]

So, the routine at present is as follows: bath DD1 age 3yo and DD2 10month old together at 6.15, both into pjs, DD1 watches TV while I feed DD2, quick story and put her to bed, then I do DD1's teeth and 2 stories and bed. This means DD2 goes to bed at 7 and DD2 7.30ish.

BUT DD1 is very tired all the time (subject of many other threads...), probably due to a medical condition, and I think she needs an earlier bedtime. Ideally 6.45 I think.

So, how do I swap them round? Most nights I am doing bedtime on my own so I need to occupy DD2 somehow while I am doing DD1's teeth and stories.

DD2 will be quite tired by then (and is going through a clingy phase) so won't be happy about being left on her own. So I'll need to bring her with me to DD1's room I guess. But, DD2 is very mobile and I can see DD1 getting pretty cross about her quiet bedtime being interruppted by DD2 trying to grab the book or climb on the bed or pulling out all her toys.

How do other people do this...?

My oldest goes to bed first. I read her a story (which my youngest interiors) then tell her I will check on her once I have got youngest to sleep. By the time I have got youngest to sleep the oldest has fallen asleep too most of the time. Not ideal but it's the only way I can do it as I do bedtimes on my own.

I used to have the same routine as you pretty much, but since DD2(3) has been at preschool she is often tired before DS (1) as she hasn't had a nap and he has. I solved it by putting them both down at once, there's no way dd2 would accept going up before DS so I haven't bothered trying.
So now we have milk and one story of DD2's choice, then go up and do pjs and teeth together (if they have a bath they come downstairs in pjs and have their milk downstairs).
Then DS into grobag and one story upstairs together- I sit with DS on my knee on DD2's bed.
This is the result of much trial and error and tweakage- we have to have a foolproof routine as I often have to do bedtime on my own.

Our DC1 has recently dropped naps entirely so same issue - needing to go to bed before DC2. We just put them down at the same time and DC1 often falls asleep while DC2 is still complaining we are mean and nasty to leave the room.

Do joint bedtime. So both teeth a t same time, into eldest bed together and read two stories to them both together. Then tuck eldest in and kiss goodnight, and take 10 month old out and put them in their bedroom. Job done

Could you feed baby in dd1s bed while reading her a story then lights out and then take baby to bed?

I'd time it so dd2 was feeding while you did dd1's story in her bed. That way dd1 could get a (hopefully quiet) story and be in bed quite early. Then do the baby.

Wow no replies and then loads thanks all

Ok so general consensus is DD2 comes along and listens (or feeds) while I read DD1 her stories?

Works in theory but... DD2 is very active and not very into stories yet - I think she will just grab the pages of the book/DD1's hair/try to crawl off the bed etc. DD1 is a horrendous sleep resister so I really want to keep her bedtime as calm as possible.

BF would keep DD2 quiet for a bit probably (though maybe not if her adored big sister is right there...) but quite soon I'm going to have to switch to FF god knows how as she will only take small sips from a cup or bottle, that's a separate problem though.

I am wondering about setting up a travel cot in dd1's bedroom that I could put DD2 in during story time with some quiet toys? Is that mad?

Maybe once DD3 is 1 she will sit and listen to the story? I can't remember what age DD1 got 'into' being read to...

Meant DD2 not DD3!

My 2 year old smacks older sisters book, we just ignore her! Not ideal though....