So I had done really well with my family..had three kids who all went to college and then the parents died.

I chose the eldest to come back to the house and thinking of the two other siblings waiting in the wings I did not have any children.

But imagine my despair when he and his wife died and the game would not let me choose the other two siblings! Game over, start again *cries*

Ahh I am so sorry Gentlestorm

You can only choose one child per generation to inherit the home. You cannot use the other siblings from a previous generation (once you've used someone from that generation) to start a new one again so you should always have kids.