“Cheating Spouse Doesn’t Want to Visit My Family”
You may have forgiven your husband for his cheating, but it doesn't mean that they have.
Both your families know about your man’s infidelity, as you made sure everyone knew how much of a dog he was when he cheated on you. Despite the fact that you’ve taken him back and feel that all is now well, or on the way to being well, he shies away from attending large family gatherings with you because he doesn’t want to deal with the possibility that they’ve grown to hate him.
Aside of the fact your husband never wanted you to catch him cheating, he definitely never had any plans for your family to know of his bad behavior as well. It also goes without saying that he’s not appreciative of the fact that they seem to know so much about his affair either. Unfortunately, the holidays are coming (Thanksgiving is only one week away!) and you must make a decision about whether or not he should bite the bullet and re-establish his relationship with your relatives.
In such a situation, it’s best not to pressure him to make any appearances with you at family gatherings. Leave him at home until you two are somewhat solid again. Waiting until your relationship’s on more stable ground allows you both to deal with the awkwardness of that first time back around your family- and no matter what, that first time will be awkward.
It’s okay for both of you to address your concerns about the upcoming family affair if necessary. Should you discover that he’s more upset with the fact that you’ve exposed the affair than anything, then it’s not an excuse. While he may be correct in that it might not have been appropriate to tell every detail to your parents, he’ll need to get over the fact that his infidelity is common knowledge the same way he wants you to get over the fact that he cheated on you to begin with.
Try to soften the awkwardness of the situation by speaking with your family beforehand. Ask them to remain supportive of your decision by being courteous to your husband for the sake of saving your marriage. Encourage your husband to reach out and try to re-establish relationships with your family and smile and be supportive of him in front of your family. Even if nobody personally supports your decision, they should love you enough to extend the olive branch to your husband.
