Heather Rae Young is opening up about her journey to becoming a stepmother — and spilling the deets on her current relationship with Christina Haack!
As Perezcious readers know, Tarek El Moussa’s new wife and ex-wife made headlines earlier this year when they were spotted in a heated argument on the sidelines of a kid’s soccer game in May. Later, it was the boys’ turn: Tarek and his former Flip or Flop co-host’s husband Josh Hall got literally nose-to-nose while hashing it out before a soccer coach had to split them up! The whole thing was super messy! Shortly after the fact, the couples released a joint statement insisting everything was resolved, telling Entertainment Tonight at the time:
“A personal matter was discussed and has since been resolved. We are focused on co-parenting as a team moving forward.”
Tarek and Christina’s son Brayden, 7, also landed in the hospital very soon after the argument, and the silver lining of the surprising health scare was that it helped pull them all together. (They also share a 12-year-old daughter, Taylor.) But where do the women stand now? And what was it like for the Selling Sunset star to join the fam?
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In a new interview on Today’s The New Rules series hosted by Jill Martin, which was released on Tuesday, the real estate agent got candid about the challenges of joining the El Moussa family, especially while trying to navigate her husband’s connection to his ex-wife, whom he’d been married to from 2009 to 2016. So much history there! And it definitely got in her head, as she revealed:
“I felt like I was always second, and no one ever made me feel that way, but I think when your significant other had such a long relationship with the previous spouse and a lot of love, and it was very public divorce. You’re coming into it, and you fall in love with each other, but you always kind of think of the ex.”
Oof. That kind of insecurity is bound to cause trouble!
Not to mention, there’s the added pressure of having to help raise someone else’s children, which so often is a point of friction in blended families. Acknowledging they had some tough days while trying to merge their worlds, the Netflix personality continued:
“I kinda had to navigate my own feelings along with falling in love with a man, raising children, getting a whole new family and also filming my own TV shows. It wasn’t always perfect. We definitely had some ups and downs, and they had ups and downs, and I think she realized how much I love the kids and they are number one to me over anything. So any drama aside, the kids are the most important thing to all of us.”
As they should be!
While it wasn’t easy, Heather learned how to balance parenthood as well as her own career and personal needs, something she plans to do as she prepares for the arrival of her first child with the HGTV star. She expressed:
“I think it’s hard, because before I met my husband and the kids, I was single, living in LA, and filming a TV show. I was dating, I had time to be with my girlfriends, I was living with a best friend and then all of a sudden, I jump into a mom role, a wife role, I take on his big family.”
Talk about overwhelming!!!
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To get through this massive life change, she made sure to be honest with Tarek about what she needed moving forward in their relationship, she explained:
“I’ve always told my husband, my career is also very important to me, and I think that’s helped me maintain not losing myself. I take care of myself, I get my massages, I get my nails done, but I also am a really good mom.”
Still, the dreaded “mom guilt” eats at her front time to time:
“Sometimes I feel guilty about that. Then I’m like, ‘Why?’ Because they’re happy, they’re healthy, they love me. I love them and I give them the time I have. And I prioritize them. So why am I feeling guilty?”
No need to feel guilty if she’s doing the best she can! And from the sounds of it, she’s crushing this new stepmother role! Ch-ch-check out more from her candid conversation (below).
It’s so natural for blended families to have a few bumps in the road, but we’re so glad to hear Heather and Christina have finally gotten on the same page. It will go SUCH a long way for the kids! But enough about our thoughts, let us know YOUR reactions (below)!
[Image via Heather Rae Young/Christina Haack/Instagram]
The post Heather Rae Young Gets Real About Struggle To Co-Parent With Tarek El Moussa's Ex-Wife Christina Haack: 'I Feel Guilty' appeared first on Perez Hilton.