Just Ask Joyce: "My husband is jealous of my relationship with Mom. What do I do?"

Q: “The only thing I want for Christmas is for my husband to stop being jealous of my mom. I am pregnant, and we are already battling about who can be in the ultrasound room when the baby’s gender is revealed. I want my mom; he doesn’t. 

I have a close relationship with my family. My mom and I are great friends and share lots of time together. My parents have never missed a special event in my life. He is not close to his family. They squabble more than they talk civilly to one another. He views our closeness as control, not a family bond. He says this should be something the two of us share, not everyone else. How can I convince him that I want her to be a part of this important time? I don’t see anything wrong with that. Am I being selfish, or is he?"

Just Ask Joyce: "How can I help my blended family come together?"

Q: “I’m in my second marriage. We love each other; we really do. Our only problem is his children won’t accept me. My children have adjusted very well to this ‘new man’ being in the home. I knew going into this relationship it would be a struggle with his daughter; I never realized, however, how difficult his 13-year-old son would be. My husband is struggling with guilt and is transferring his emotions to me. I want to be patient, but the situation doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Do you have any suggestions for blending these two families in order to keep our marriage strong?”