#growing up poly

[erudipitous]

my dad: the best thing about being poly is snarfing down all the leftovers from your wife's dates

[apolychild]

On being open about my parents relationship style

Whenever I tell someone who doesn’t already have a background or knowledge of polyamory that my parents are poly, I tend to get disgusted looks. I get asked why they don’t just get a divorce, if they really love each other, how could they raise a kid in that lifestyle, etc. While i understand that their style is not the norm, it doesnt mean that they hate each other or that they aren’t meant to be with each other. I really hate those questions, because it assumes that polyamory is somehow unhealthy, which it’s not. Then they tend to get all High and Mighty, thinking they know how to “help” my parents, or trying to convince me somehow that it’s abuse and i need to see therapy to help me “adjust”. (Not everyone does the second one, but at least three people have in the last 2 years, which is way to freaking many if you ask me) That’s why i tend to be pretty careful about who i tell and under what circumstances.

[eusamie]

If you argue that having more than two parents due to a poly amorous relationship is harmful to a child

Then I encourage you to think long and hard about children of divorced parents who see other people. The only difference is that the additional parenting figures likely have no attachment to the others, and there is a high chance of animosity not present in poly amorous relationships. I would think that a child raised with more than two loving parents would get a better idea about love than a child who lives with two parents who constantly fight and are mean to each other.