Category: Family

  • Explaining Polyamory: The Wrap Up

    Not much to fix here. Added a few links and fixed some typos/grammar. Updated 9/28/17 So far, we’ve covered an introduction to the Culture Gap, preparations, discussion, and possible reactions. Hopefully, hitting the high points of stuff you should know before explaining your relationship choose to friends or family. The good news is, the more…

  • Explaining Polyamory: Negative Reactions

    Mostly grammar and typo fixes here, but I also updated info on how things turned out for me when I got some of these reactions and removed some of emphasis on being polite to people who are being assholes. While I still believe that being polite to people you love who are reacting badly can…

  • Explaining Polyamory: Positive Reactions

    I updated the suggested resources here. And let me say it’s amazing and wonderful how many more resources for explaining and exploring polyamory there are in the just the five years since I wrote this post. Not much edits otherwise. Neither human nature nor culture have changed enough in the past five years to make…

  • Explaining Polyamory: the Conversation

    Mostly grammar and typo corrections here, but I also needed to clean up some ableist language. Some of the example discussions were tweaked so there is less focus on triads. The reference to Sister Wives really dates this post, but I decided against changing it. If you are having this conversation today there are many…

  • Explaining Polyamory: Preparation

    Minor edits for grammar and readability. Not much has changed here. 7/13/2017 Sorry for the late update. Last week I introduced the Culture Gap, which has a huge influence on how people react to polyamory. This week I’m going to get into some of the how-tos for explaining polyamory. And if anyone has any suggestions…

  • Explaining Polyamory: The Culture Gap

    Mostly some typo and grammar fixes here, but I also clarified the importance and right to self care when dealing with people who don’t believe that polyamory can be a viable relationship. June 29, 2017 Had some kind of tech glitch that kept this from posting last Thursday, so It’s going live today instead. Sorry…

  • Polyamory and Children: What do I call Mom’s Boyfriend?

    Changed to be inclusive of a wider variety of relationship styles and less heteronormative. Also fixed some typos. Updated June 7, 2017. Step-parent, aunt, Jennie, Pop, Ma’am, Mr. Smith . . . Basic rule of thumb: kids need a label for the adults in their lives. A box to put the adult in so they…

  • Telling Your Children about Polyamory

    Not much changed here on the main topic, but original version was pretty heterocentric. I’ve tried to correct that and be more inclusive of single-parent families. Revised 3/26/17 Children who are born into a polyamorous relationship do not need anyone to explain their parents’ relationships, any more than children born into a monogamous relationship. Because they…

  • Polyamory and Pregnancy: What makes a parent

    Since writing this post I have learned that the poem is by Fleur Conkling Heylinger and was probably published in the early 1950s. Unfortunately, my Google-fu is failing me, and aside from one other poem, I haven’t been able to find anything about Fleur Conkling Heylinger. She might or might not be the same as the…

  • Family Names: Legal Stuff

    Nothing much changed here. Laws in the UK and the US don’t seem to have changed much the last few years. If know anything about the laws in other countries, please share in the comments! Revised Jan 29, 2017. Disclaimer part 1: I am not a lawyer, or more than a moderately competent researcher, please…