In the midst of legal woes, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice is breaking her silence in an exclusive interview and photo shoot with In Touch.

Teresa and her husband, Joe, 43, both pleaded not guilty in August after being indicted on 39 counts of fraud charges that carry a maximum sentence of 50 years. But with their February trial date approaching, Teresa, 41, is a rock. “Look — every family has problems. Nobody’s perfect,” she tells the new issue of In Touch, on newsstands now. “I have to be strong for my kids.”

Her top priority: making sure her four daughters, Gia, 12, Gabriella, 9, Milania, 7, and Audriana, 4, feel secure. “Especially Gia — she’s the only one who knows anything is going on, so I do everything I can to make her feel comfortable,” Teresa, who even hired LA-based legal coach and crisis manager Wendy Feldman, tells the mag. “I just want my daughters to grow up healthy and happy.”

And with the holidays approaching, Teresa explains the importance for her and Joe to savor the time without fear of the future. “You’ve got to keep living life and being positive,” she tells In Touch. “You can’t just curl up in a ball and crawl into a hole. What’s that going to do? I want the kids to enjoy their childhood. And to be the best mom I can be.”

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For more, pick up the latest issue of In Touch, on newsstands now.

Today on VH1's hit show The Gossip Table, In Touch's contributing senior news editor, Noah Levy, discussed In Touch's exclusives with his castmates.  Check out the clip below from the show which airs weekdays at 9:30 AM EST and always shares the best dish from In Touch Weekly!

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