How to make an open relationship open for discussion with your partner?

You’re feeling restless. You have been together with your partner for a long time. Maybe you’re even married or just had your first child together. And you’re wondering; is this it? Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like? You love your partner very much and want to grow old together, but there is still this itch. Will you never get to know another bed partner apart from your current partner? Deep down, you know what you would like; an open relationship. But how do you make this open for discussion within your current relationship?

An open relationship

An open relationship means that the two people in a relationship together let each other be free. So free that they can have one or more connections outside of their own relationship. What this freedom looks like is something that needs to be decided together. In an open relationship, it’s essential that you be able to trust each other and know your partner will not cross any of your boundaries.

Also read: An open relationship: all the tips & tricks

Why would you want an open relationship?

Before you talk about having an open relationship, it’s good to first figure out why you feel the need to have one. Does your current relationship lack a certain excitement? Do you find the idea of never having sex with other people constricting? Or have you fallen in love with someone else, but you don’t want to cheat? Figure out why you want to have an open relationship so you can support your argument better when proposing it to your partner.

Did you know… open relationships are more common with homosexual couples than they are with heterosexual couples and more among homosexual men than lesbians?

Your partner will likely wonder how you see this open relationship working, so it’s essential to have already thought about this. For instance, do you only want to be able to have sexual bonds with other people, or do you also want to be able to make emotional connections? Is it more about having short-term flings or long-term relationships? Try to map this out for yourself as clearly as possible.

Communication is key

You’ve probably had the idea of an open relationship on your mind for a while before you considered bringing it up with your partner. On the other hand, your partner has no clue, so you should give them time to get used to the idea.

Make sure your partner feels their emotions are heard and keep their feelings in mind. This way, you’ll be building trust, which is vital for an open relationship. It’s essential to talk a lot, but mainly to listen to each other’s desires, wishes, fears, and insecurities.

Explore the idea together

Maybe you know of a couple currently in an open relationship, and you could ask them for advice. If this is not the case, luckily there are countless other ways to get insight and information. For instance, online forums but also books could also be a great resource. It’s essential to include your partner in this search for knowledge about the topic. Maybe this way, you can get insight together and then decide what type of open relationship works best for you.

Also read: How does a Friends With Benefits relationship work?

If you can’t figure it out together

It’s always good to talk about your desires out loud. There is no reason to deny them or feel embarrassed because of them. But when your partner doesn’t like the idea of having an open relationship, you need to respect their choice as well. This puts you in a difficult position; do you give in to your desires, or are you going to try and suppress them?

What do you think about having an open relationship? Let us know in the comment sections!