Advice with regards to mother moving in with us

Primrose

I'm afraid warning bells are starting to ring for me here. You already have four children and cats which you say your mother doesn't like, so even if she was living in an annexe, she would still be on top of you and no doubt popping in and out for meals and "tutt, tutting" at the way you run your house, the noise your children make and the fact that your cats are for ever under her feet. And it's YOUR house.

How does your husband feel about it? Your mother could soon become the elephant in the room, even if she is tucked away in an annexe. Also, I think you should seek serious legal advice on the future care home funding issue if your mother puts money into your home because with all the deficit cuts under way, pressure will be increasing on local authorities to ensure that as many people as possible fund themselves in care accommodation, and your family home, if your mother has put capital into it, could become enmeshed in the process. Don't go there. Keep your family separate, and your family finances separate and try and look for another solution which will keep her nearby but totally independent.