Fiona Phillips on caring for children and ageing parents

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here. I can completely understand that feeling of 'we've got you back' - dh says that to me when we've been on holiday.

God, it just sounds so hard, her mum started deteriorating at 50, which is so young. I completely understand why she decided to stop doing 4am starts.

quite a touching article. TBH I used to like fiona around 11 years or so ago but the last few years my view of her has changed...BUT thats not to say I don't feel for her and her situation.
Im 29 and tbh it does worry me about my parents ageing etc....guess im just glad and lucky to have had ds and dd at a good age iykiwm....

My boss reminded me of this recently when we were talking about me getting my mojo back after having the dds. He said he knew how difficult it was for working mums esp ones like me with an elderly dad, who is fit and healthy at the moment, but who would need a lot of support if and when things deteriorate. He was talking in terms of working part-time. And he was absolutely right and it worried me somewhat...

My brother lives abroad, so I guess the buck would stop with me.

We have brought my mum to live with us, at least that way I know what's happening and how she really is. I am happy to say that at 83 she shows no signs of dementia of any kind, but she is definitely physically debilitated and slower than she was. She does forget things but I think (hope - I might be kidding myself) it's just that there are a lot of things that she's not really that interested in, so doesn't always bother listening! Also, she's a bit(!) deaf but won't do anything about it. I remember her having arguments with my grandmother, who also refused to admit to deafness, about getting a hearing aid! What goes around comes around.

It is much easier if your parent(s) lives nearby, then you don't have to rely on phone calls etc. I suppose not everyone wants to. DH would hate to live close to his mum, for instance (and so would I, tbh).

see thing is, as much as I love my parents and dh loves his...it would be up to us iykwim...

This sounds a bit off I know but I just don't think I could do it....

My sister lives around an hours drive away and is the throws of moving even further away and my dh's brother is single and tbh Im sure it would land with dh & i as the couple and me as the woman...

BUT that said, I would hate either set of parents being left alone and uncared for...