You are not a failure gravytrain. You do have to show these children that you are in charge. If they are in playpens I guess I would try again letting them cry it out until they exhaust themselves. I wouldn't go in and out of the rooms and back and forth. You are exhausting yourself.

Can you put them together in the same room in playpens and sit beside both of them? Speak sternly to them, not sweetly, so they know you mean what you say. It's time for some tough love if you've tried everything else.

Definitely find some books or articles that teach about good sleeping habits and talk to the parents. Babies at this age need 12-14 hours of sleep within a 24 hour period. So they should be sleeping 10-12 hours at night and they will have a good 2 hour nap. If they are sleep deprived at night and they fight sleep with their parents the same way they do it with you, then you have a huge problem. Get the parents on board to help you out or you will have grounds for termination. I don't continue unless the parents are working with me to solve problems.