The Kitchen table concept in open, swinging and other ethically non monogamous dynamics

Open and non-traditional relationships can be done in all types of ways, but I think the kitchen table concept can be applied to all of them. This is a concept I have been made aware of just recently, but I found it so brilliant that I had to share it with all of you. So, let's get started.

Let's start with what it is. The first part of this concept is for all people who are sleeping with multiple people or having multiple relationships at once. The first part of it is that you have to be as comfortable talking about everything surrounding all of your relationships as you would be talking about "kitchen table topics". Kitchen table topics are those things like how our days went, the gossip of the day and other everyday topics. This part of the concept also suggests that if you're not comfortable talking about what you want in the relationship around the kitchen table or just in general would you really go through with them ethically? I suggest going through with this type of relationships ethically to save yourself some headache and drama. If done unethically the relationship could also end.

The other part of the concept may not work for swingers or other just sex based open style relationships. There is a version of this part for sex-based relationships that we will talk about later. The second part of the concept brings up the idea of being comfortable enough with your partner's partners that if they were at your kitchen table that you would be ok with it. You don't have to be best friends with these people you just have to be ok with their existence in your partner's life and possibly your life. Some ethically non monogamous or poly people meet their partner's partners. There also some non-monogamous couples who have partners that they date at the same time.

The swinger or sex-based relationship version of the second part of the concept is the idea of you being ok with the idea that at any time you could be in a room with someone your partner had sex with. If you can't be ok with this idea, then you shouldn't do swinging or sex based open relationships. People like the idea of being in relationships but then when people actually open up their relationship especially sexually it gets to be a problem.

This concept is brilliant because it focuses on the two main concepts of these types of relationships, communications and jealousy. To do open style relationships you have to have to communicate well, and you need to keep jealousy in check. If jealousy does come up it needs to be discussed in a grown-up way. Fights will happen but if they happen a lot or all the time about being in an open or non-monogamous side of the relationship, you need to close the relationship or end it.

We already talked some about the jealousy and fights in these types of relationships but there is so much more we need to talk about. I had a poly situation where one partner in the situation would preach about keeping jealousy in check but then she would create drama because she was jealous of me. If you are the jealous type, these dynamics are not made for you. You have to be honest not only with your partners but with yourself too. You need to be honest about whether or not you can handle this.

I hope this makes sense and helps you have an amazing experience. If you have any questions, please email me ([email protected]). This email is just for y'all.