3-year olds and bed time

Okay, I realize it is a phase, but honestly, is it a phase my son needs to go through?

My darling boy is going through the "I don't want to go to bed" phase of life. I know it's because he thinks he's missing something, and really he is, if he thinks us sitting on the couch together and watching "Castle" is missing something. But I don't think that's what it is.

He lays in bed "I want something else" what do you want? "Ummmmm... I dunno" but if you leave his room he starts wailing - and I really don't want him to wake his sister. So I go back in. I'm sure I'm supposed to let him cry, but it just doesn't seem right to me to make my son cry himself to sleep. I don't mind him reading books in bed, and chatting with his animals, it's the fussing that gets me!

And what I really hate is when I give into my frustration and take it out on him. Bill says it's hard not to, but you want to convey to this child how frustrating it is - but without yelling, or anything mean. But he's 3. He doesn't understand frustration like that.

I don't know how my Mom did it with 4 of us. I don't know how my friends who have large families do it. How do they get any sleep at all?

But let me put in a qualifying statement - Duncan is a really good kid. He honestly is. Mostly he is smiles and giggles and loves to play and run and he makes us laugh so much. So I know we just need to work through this, but when he does carry on I find myself getting anxious at his bed time because I don't feel like putting up with him.

And someone recently told me that if they aren't like this at 3, they are at 4, and it is much worse at 4. So I'll take 3 thank you very much :)