Now this probably is asking the obvious of many people, but since the arrival of DS (6m) and the start of his routine a few months ago, DH has taken DD (3.3) from getting out of the bath, gets her into PJs and does stories and settles her for about 7. I bf DS and get him to sleep: he's not a self settler, has always cried in his cot and I'm currently trying to move from rocking / feeding to sleep to him going off on his own while I sit beside him. He is usually tired and needs to go to sleep between 6.30 and 7.
DH occasionally is not here to help and I have managed by sticking DD in front of a DVD once she's ready for bed, getting DS off and then plonking her in her bed. Tonight it all went tits up as she woke DS up once I had got her into bed, so he started screaming, she was crying as I had left her and was being stern about staying in bed (she often hops out to put off bedtime and we had just discussed this). Her loud and dramatic crying is very audible in our room where DS sleeps, so if I hush her I have a better chance of him settling but then he's too little to know where I am if I'm not there so I don't want to leave him as not planning CC! Eventually he fell asleep again after I got DD to stop sobbing so loudly, and I gave her a proper goodnight and a kiss and all was ok! But it could have dragged on and already had taken a while.
I know there are plenty of parents managing this daily in their own so please share your wisdom so I can see DH off before bedtime without a sense of dread! 