A severe spanner has been hurled in my direction from the ol' man.

He has offered me his very profitable business back in the UK for a heavily discounted price in order for it to remain in the family.

I have been sent the accounts from the last three years which make very interesting & excitable reading BUT ... we've been in Perth for exactly 3 years now and:

Mrs 3 is happy
The 3 jnr. 3's are happy
To an extent 3 is happy
We're 'almost' settled

Aside the number of 3's, how do others view this situation and what would you do ... ?

We are citizens so coming back would never be an issue ...

My gut reaction to reading this was "Stay where you are".

It may sound cliche but if you are all that happy then you already posses something very valuable.

This was a serious reply....

sounds like blackmail form the old man to get you back.

Take the company and sell it on at a non discounted price. Kick back and enjoy the sun.

Would you buy the business if it wasn't your old man's?

Can you not buy it and get someone to run it for you (money permitting of course!)

Not at the correct market value ...

However, this deal is structured in such a way that we are able to afford it and make some decent wad too.

All very mind mangling.

I'm sure Dad would like us back but that is not his primary motive. He's just being a Dad.

That is very much my thought process, however I would need to be there for at least 18 - 24 months to sort it all out and I don't want to mess the kids future's up. It's never f***ing simple is it ...

I'm glad that's your dilemma and not mine He wants you back and he wants to retire so do you do what he wants or do you do what the five 3s want? The junior 3s are small so it wouldn't be totally disrupting, however, if you become citizens and then go back, would you actually get off your arses again and return or would you then become obliged to your dad and at some point, his memory and stay and run the business for ever? Can you imagine yourself back there running the place until retirement? Would you sell it after he dies (sorry but it's going to happen) and then a) why go back in the first place or b) would you feel guilty for selling 'his' business? If you went back and realised you didn't want the business would you hold it against your dad for encouraging you to leave your settled (almost) lives here?

Loads of questions you've probably asked yourself but I may have helped or hindered. Good luck with it.

Is it possible for you to go back and leave the 4 other 3s here? You could do the commuter marriage for a while - kids and Mrs 3 come to UK for school holidays and you come here for breaks - just until the business is up and running enough for you to come back permanently.

Like Moneypen says, I'm glad it's your dilemma. It's a tough one alright.

Buy the business and employ the old man to run it
It wont be too long before he is bored of retirement.

Can you not buy the company and run it from here.....a long shot I know, but worth a thought!!

All depends how lucrative really.

Is it lucrative enough for you to be able to go where and when you want in the foreseeable future. Or is it the other extreme, where you will be living your work 24/7

There are some businesses around that have the capacity to buy you total freedom.

Yehp thats more or less what I meant...

That's a tough one mate and i have no answer other than wish ya luck

I think the key question is, how likely do you think it is that the other four family members would be less happy in the UK?

Last year I also had three children and a wife who were happy in Perth. That changed in April when I instigated a move to England. I now have three children who say they want to go back to Perth and a wife who takes every opportunity to remind me of why all aspects of her life were better in Perth.

In my experience, it's much easier to be the one making a "sacrifice" for your immediate family than to watch them struggle as a consequence of your decision.

"To an extent 3 is happy" suggests that there might be other factors pulling you back.

It's a tough one. Good luck.