OPEN MARRIAGE: MEANING, RULES AND ALL YOU NEED

Looking to have an exclusive, intimate open marriage but you don’t really know where to start from or simply the rules involved in such a game? Some people call it polyamory but plainly said it is an open relationship or marriage but what does this mean;

WHAT IS AN OPEN MARRIAGE?

Open marriage is a form of polyamory whereby couples in a dyadic marriage agree to engage or have romantic or intimate “flings” with other people without it being called cheating or infidelity.
Thanks to the internet and dating apps, open relationships are seemingly on the rise and very easy.

RULES FOR AN OPEN MARRIAGE

The best and safer way to have an open marriage is to first ask your partner what he/she understands by an open marriage. Through that, you can set rules between the both of you. Although the rules may differ in a few cases between the couples the common rules are;

#1. Set sexual boundaries:

Know your limits. Do you intend to have one sexual/romantic partner at a time? Although it is always hard setting sexual boundaries helps keep the marriage intact in a way so anytime you are ready to end it, it’s possible to do so.

#2. Set emotional boundaries:

Obviously, your partner is cool with the idea of an open marriage but he/she would still like to feel a bit useful. That is why emotional boundaries are set. You can’t get too close too attached to one of your flings, topmost rule.

#3. Establish who it’s cool to hook up with:

Hooking up with some random person isn’t always the best because there is little or no sexual safety for your partner so this is always set.

#4. Figure out how much time you’ll spend with other partners:

An open marriage is cool and all but “I don’t need him eating into my time”…said the jealous husband. You should both resolve how much time you’d both spend with your external or extramarital partners. Although it might be tempting to spend more time than stipulated it’s the rules. Don’t break it.

#5. Decide how you’ll talk about your relationships with each other and others:

What are your reservations in the relationship? Decide on how you want this to go.

#6. Discuss how often you’ll have a check-in:

Regular check-ins are quite important although the whole concept of an open marriage is maximum freedom and free will regular check-ins keep everything regulated. You can’t just run off doing stuff we didn’t agree on.

PROS OF AN OPEN MARRIAGE

#1. Improved Communication Rate:

Trust and communication are usually built-in open marriages. Open marriages reignite a spark that was lost in the relationship. Couples often profess that seeing other people improves communication with their primary partner. Better and more frequent communication maybe because there is no longer a mundane routine so this is usually fixed when opening a marriage.

#2. Freedom to Meet Your Needs:

That hunger and those needs are not always met so in such cases commitment is not the problem. Opening a marriage allows for more profound satisfaction with the marriage, yourself, and your partner like in cases of “swingers”.

CONS OF AN OPEN MARRIAGE

#1. It’s Not Always Easy:

It’s a lot of work. The rules that come with this non-monogamous relationship and not all partners are open to such ideas even if it involves satisfying your fetishes. Normally, a successful open marriage actually needs a high level of emotional intelligence from both parties and that is not easy. A lot of people there emotional intelligence/quotient is very low so it needs more work and effort to make it work.

#2. Emotional Reflux:

Speaking of emotions, there are often many unexpected and uncomfortable emotions when it comes to opening a marriage. Jealousy is the obvious one, but also resentment, loneliness, anger, and envy. A lot of partners get dangerous when they are jealous, and protective of their boundaries way beyond the normal pure forms of jealousy.

OPEN MARRIAGE DATING

There are a lot of apps and websites online that make it seamlessly easy to date online. However, statistics show that 92% of open marriages always end up in a divorce, so you might want to reconsider. Why don’t you try a break instead?

Open Marriage FAQ’s

Is open marriage legal?

This is not lawful in the United States. If a marriage is not monogamous, it is referred to as a “open marriage.”

What percent of open marriages end in divorce?

According to one study, 92 percent of open marriages result in divorce, lending credence to the widely held belief that marriage without exclusivity is doomed to fail.

Why does my husband want an open marriage?

In other cases, requesting an open marriage may indicate that your partner has already cheated and is seeking retroactive permission or forgiveness. In other cases, it could be because your spouse has been eyeing a potential mate and wants to act on those feelings.