help me improve bedtime routine for DDs, aged nearly 4 and 6

[rhetorician]

So with the best will in the world, we never get them to bed as soon as we should (life/dinner/jobs/puppy/homework etc). Routine goes something like this; watch a bit of TV; eat dinner; take dog for quick walk/play on the road; bath (where applicable - seems to make them all excited, not calm them down like it says in the books); PJs/teeth; stories (if there's time). This all seems fine (I think), but they warble and chat and mess about, and the actual going to sleep part takes up to an hour. They have to get up at 7 for school and it's just not enough sleep for them or evening time for us

One of us usually sits on the stairs outside their room while DD2 falls asleep - this is a vast improvement on the hours we've sat on her bed waiting for her to fall asleep.

Can we speed things up? I'm sure if we could get them into bed earlier, they would still take an hour to go to sleep, but at least they would be asleep by 8 rather than 9. But if we all get home around 5.30-6, it's hard to see how we can get everything done in time to get them into bed for 7...

Can dog walk replace the TV with one parent, while the other cooks? And a bath or shower in the morning rather than the evening?
Do they get fed enough at whatever childcare your using that the last meal could be cereal or sandwich? ie 5 in n prep time?

Where does any school work fit in?

If you could remove the need for someone to sit outside DD2 room, you would get some evening back. What about some sort of gradual retreat, can't ntinuing what you've already done with sitting on bed to on the stairs.

in an ideal world DD1 would do her homework at her after school and that would take that out of the equation; splitting activities is good, as long as there are two parents here, which isn't often the case. Gradual retreat is the plan for sure!

Bath/shower in morning fine in theory, but they have to leave at 8, and are slow enough with breakfast/dressing etc. We try and minimise baths but there has to be some cleaning of children during the week!!

It's the messing about bit that seems to be the problem! I know it's easy to say but be stricter! After the story it should be lights out no noise!

I would split bedtimes so that DD2 has settled by the time DD1 goes to bed. Then you can start stressing the importance of whispering and being quiet to DD1, because little sister is going to sleep.

yes, though it's largely DD2 who is the problem. What sanctions for making noise? no tv next day? no walk with dog?