The crucial point in open relationship is being honest. 

It is not always easy, as everything in need of discussion is considered personal and therefore nobody is willing to raise this subject too often. But lack of transparency about your preferences might bring your date into a confused state. Some happen to be strongly monogamous, others have misconceptions about what being in open relationship is like. But whatever the reason is for a partner-to-be, the responsibility of a poly person is to make sure everybody is aware of what’s going on.

You shouldn’t assume that the person you’ve never asked about the polyamorous relationships will accept the idea or totally refuse it. Nowadays it’s pretty difficult to predict other people’s reaction to anything. so being honest and straightforward is your strongest weapon as well as your best tool. More than that, remember that the way you choose to give the information can affect a person’s opinion a lot.

Best time to start is while creating a profile on a dating app or during the first conversation if you met your crush offline. If being upfront with the fact of polyamory seems too daring, the best way of warning your date is bringing the subject up in the conversation as soon as possible. This might turn away certain amount of people, but when you end up on a date with somebody, you will be totally sure open relationship is accepted by your partner. Also, nobody will feel sorry or angry if this fact comes out later on a serious stage already. So honesty is the best way to save time and nerves, both yours and your alleged date.

Obviously, don't forget that words like “do what you want” or “I don’t care” don’t mean your partner approves your idea of finding another partner for a polyamorous relationship. Monitor your partner’s reaction and emotions to understand their real attitude completely in advance, or else you’ll risk to lose them.

Another thing that needs clarification from the very beginning are your limits and what you actually consider as open relationship. As polyamory takes all kinds and forms, even if you find somebody with the same preferences it doesn’t automatically imply having the same views on it.

Understanding what your boundaries are is a crucial thing. If you are already in a relationship and seeking for a partner to communicate with simultaneously, it is obligatory to also discuss the subject with your current significant other. Even if you are single, take it seriously and think deeply about what you can allow into your life and what should be kept outside. Make sure to talk it through so that no miscommunications appear.

Setting boundaries doesn’t mean you do it once and for all.  

As the time goes, it is possible to realise that your opinion of things has changed. What used to be a habit now may start feeling uncomfortable. If such case happens, it’s better to raise the discussion on boundaries once more. You don’t want to sacrifice your own comfort for somebody else’s pleasure.

Even though some people might think that coping with stress and pressing their real feelings and emotions can help them to save their relationships or other persons’ feelings it’s almost never like that. People should remember that every “couple” has equal members in it and everyone’s feelings matter there. So if you’re sure that you feel discomfort and stress then it’s better to discuss the problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, the problems can just grow up until the moment the relationship is completely broken.

If you are clear about looking for open relationship, especially if you mention it in your profile, it often makes you deal with negativity.

• There are people who had bad experience with polyamorous partners;
• Those who disapprove of any non-monogamy affair;
• It’s also easy to come across with those who was cheated on and is just mistaken.
• It doesn’t necessarily come from a future date. There are passers-by, especially on social media and dating apps, where distance and virtuality of communication makes it seem almost unreal and uncontrolled.

So if you are open about intention of getting into non-monogamous relationship, it is not uncommon to get messages from a person thinking you are willing to still their partner and break their marriage.

Another scary thing that you might come across is being out for your family and friends. As any other coming out it’s stressful as you never know how the close to you are going to react. Mostly it’s the older generation that you expect negativity from, but young relatives and acquaintances can also be judgemental. One more fear concerns rumors on a work place. It’s not a good intention to discuss personal life on a workspace, but rumors often arise between colleagues. It can make one’s life significantly more nervous and hard, so it’s natural to be afraid of judgement from people you are surrounded by.

If in doubt where to start open relationship dating, try going online. The polyamory community there is broad and welcoming. Starting online also gives the chance to gain the confidence first before going out and actually meeting your date eye to eye. If you are eager to have open relationship, here is a website that might come in handy.

A place to search for polyamorous adventure online is certainly Dating.com. The mission of this website is considered to connect singles from the same area or all around the world. It allows to use a variety of communication features to find a person most suitable for your preferences. It’s the best platform to find a perfect match, as it is specially designed for the members to have the easiest most pleasant experience of finding a special one.

Communication begins when both members like each other, so there is barely a chance to face any negaivity. For those valuing mobility Dating.com offers the use of a mobile app to make the process of finding love even more simple.