I’m jealous of my husband’s relationship with his sister.

Every week in The Guardian newspaper, Annalisa Barbieri addresses a relationship problem sent in by a reader. On this one Peel founder Nicole Addis advises.

This type of unwelcome envy is more common than you’d think. Tackle it by identifying what you feel is being taken away from you.

“My husband has a good relationship with his siblings, particularly his younger sister. While she is also a good friend of mine, I have come to realise that I am jealous of their bond and can feel sidelined by them at times. This can be when we visit his sister together or when she comes over and my husband is home.

“He values her opinion (sometimes more so than mine) and when they start a conversation it’s hard to get a word in edgeways. As they both work in the same field their conversations are usually around their industry, which I have not much interest in, and while I have tried to listen in and learn a bit, I’m often unable to add anything to the conversation – and that’s if I can get a word in.

“When my sister-in-law comes over, she will say hi to me and make a beeline for my husband. When he isn’t home, we have a good time together but I feel that she would rather be with her brother than me.

“I think part of why I find it hard is because when we used to visit my husband’s brother I would spend 40 minutes staring at the floor or wall while they had their chat. After particularly unkind words from his brother’s wife, I no longer go with him when he visits.

“I have a good relationship with my siblings (two sisters) but would like to not feel so left out with my husband and his sister and abate this unwelcome feeling of jealousy.