I’m a bored wife and a young man at work is flirting

Q I have been married for 12 years and have a predictable sex life. We have two young children and money is tight. Six months ago, I started a full-time job. From day one, I’ve been attracted to a younger man in the office. At a recent after-work drink session, he sat beside me and joked that he fancied me. I’m distracted by sexual fantasies about him. I’m afraid I’ll have a fling and tear my family apart.

AThe thrill of a forbidden relationship is one of the oldest aphrodisiacs. How delicious it is to escape into sexual fantasies when, at home, you are dealing with financial difficulties, a young family and a lacklustre sex life.

Take a step back and look at the bigger picture. You are in transition: a mother back in the world of work. Some of the other transitions in your life will have included leaving home, getting married, and having children. They are all events to be celebrated, but, at the same time, can cause anxiety.