Sex File: We miss our empty-nest lovemaking 

"The good news is that a little imagination, secrecy and constraint can actually increase erotic intensity. Why not use the next few months as an opportunity to experiment with flirting with your husband by text?"

Pic: iStock

Our two children are at university so my husband and I have been enjoying our empty nest and getting back to our pre-kids sex life. But now they're home for the summer we find ourselves back in the frumpy mum and dad mindset. There is also the practical difficulty of not being able to have sex when we want to anymore. Any advice?

Sex is obviously a private act and the idea of children hearing their parents making out is disconcerting, but yours are not kids anymore. They are strapping university students. They won't be asking for your permission to stay out until 4am, so you don't necessarily need to curtail your new-found sexual freedom for their benefit. You do, however, need to maintain some solid boundaries and lead by example.