Bedtime Battles

You know what, I HATE bedtime! Not my own of course, I'm always happy to go to bed, but my children's. This is one of my greatest challenges as a mother, and it always has been. It's when I'm most prone to morph into the wicked witch. Summer time is even worse because it stays light so late here, and because we don't have any real routine or reason to be up early in the morning, so it's even harder to convince the kids they really do need to go to bed. From the time I say, "It's time to start getting ready for bed" the girls start finding ways to stall--we forgot to feed the pets, I need a drink, I'm starving, I didn't practice the piano, I just want to finish this movie, etc, etc. We try to have family prayer and scripture time, but mostly I feel like I'm just reading outloud to myself. I get frustrated because I know they need their sleep or they will be extra grumpy the next day, and they are not always cooperative with doing what needs to be done to get in their beds at a reasonable hour. But I can't keep them moving along and make sure everyone's teeth get brushed and dirty clothes get picked up at the same time I am trying to read to Anya and nurse Paisley so that she settles down for the night, and also get scripture time and prayers all in there. I have got to figure out some way to change the routine so that my kids don't go t bed every night thinking I am the meanest mother on the planet.