A Table For Five: What To Expect In Polyamory

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The life of polygamy, or polyamory, comes with many quirks along with its many benefits. Day to day, as your polyamorous relationships grow in size and strength, you’ll find yourself in little situations you may have never expected. From sleeping arrangements to table settings, the unique approaches each relationship employs as solutions create one-of-a-kind lives to enjoy together. Every day cannot be a cakewalk. Sometimes you just want to relax and be normal. Embracing your weirdness and rejecting the stress it can bring will keep you, and your loved ones, as the individuals you’re meant to be. If you’re new to polyamory, or only considering the option, here are a few things to expect along the way. 

Did I mention sleeping arrangements? Yeah, this one can be very creative for poly groups or families. There may be core relationships involved or fully autonomous situations. Polygamist families with a patriarchal core, in which multiple heterosexual women are committed to one man, have to take turns with their husband. If you plan to become a sister wife, it’s important that a family you’re interested in joining is the right fit for you. Two couples that decide to form a poly relationship may keep separate homes entirely. It’s important to consider what living and sleeping arrangements will work for you before getting too involved in a situation that will leave you feeling cold. If you’re a single person that begins dating a couple you can’t make assumptions about the direction it may go. Ask them! Most people interested in poly or polygamy dating are perfectly comfortable telling potential partners what they’re interested in, or open to. Don’t bend too far toward their expectations and away from your own. Spend more time finding people that fit you. 

Shifting sexual boundaries is also more prominent in polyamorous relationships. The very nature of polygamy or polyamory already requires some thinking outside of the box, so interest in sexual exploration often comes with the territory. It’s possible to remain very conservative but important not to enforce unwanted restraints on any of your partners. Keeping an open mind and open conversation will keep relationships happier and healthier in the long run. If you have personal boundaries that simply cannot be tested, don’t wait until you’re heavily involved with a relationship before expressing your feelings. There are no rules except for the rules you and your partners agree to. Be ready to encounter anything, and be respectful, while asserting what is right, or wrong, for you. Being poly doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your standards but it does mean you should be respectful of others’ curiosities. 

Finances are a bit more complicated for polyamorous relationships as well. Five people sharing one bank account sounds confusing, and maybe even dangerous. A lot of people, even monogamous people, prefer to keep their finances separate nowadays. Either way, sharing of finances in various forms might come up, so it’s best to develop your preferences early so you know how much sharing is comfortable for you. Five incomes under one roof can be a beautiful thing, but one bad apple can ruin it for everyone. Keep an eye out for overspenders or people that are misleading about their net worth. Two unemployed grifters under your roof are no way to enjoy a poly life. 

Presenting your polyamorous relationship to the world around you can also be tricky. One general rule to follow is actually a simple fact: your relationship is ultimately nobody’s business but your own. There is no shame in saying you’re just friends to people you know will not be supportive. Don’t feed their ignorance and give them a reason to make your life difficult. Five people checking into one hotel room might cost a little extra, but you owe no explanation to the front desk. Ordering a table for five on Valentine's Day might raise a few eyebrows, but it’s none of your business what other people think of you, just like it’s none of their business that you’re on a date with multiple people. A woman doesn’t become a sister wife, and nobody practices polyamory, for the entertainment of others. Validation can be a very nice thing but learning to let go of the need for it is even better. Otherwise, you find yourself seeking it all the time. Enjoy your poly date and the beautiful world you’ve built for yourself. Let the rest of the world do their own thing.

When you join a polygamist family or find a polyamorous relationship, you make a choice to walk to the beat of your own drum. Shedding the constraints and standards society set up for everyone will lead to a few difficult situations. People that are gatekeepers feel a strong need to enforce what they believe is the correct way to live and love. Gatekeepers do not like change or opposition. They have been fighting against anything but the ‘nuclear family’ for centuries even though there is absolutely nothing to suggest monogamy is even a healthy way to live. Knowing you’ve made the choices that are right for yourself, and that you’re building a life to make yourself happy, will pay off eventually. Don’t get discouraged and give up on the poly life. Even if your table for five needs to only be at home for a while, you will find your flow and the world outside will eventually lose its daunting edge.

Published By: Sister Wives 

Matchmakers Inc