Do new relationship affect old ones? or do old one affect new ones?-Couple Privilege

Murasaki

Member
I was originally going to include a couple threads as context, but changed my mind. It is not my intention for anyone to feel as though I’m calling them out, or anything negative like that. Simply put I have seen this topic come up in various threads, and I have seen several different opinions set out by posters. What I would like to do here is get more posters to weigh in on these concepts/ideas. I’m interested in learning what people who associate with poly, and poly culture think and feel on this somewhat touchy subject. I’m hoping to get more opinions grouped together in one place for consideration by those who enjoy reading these forums.

This is meant to be a discussion, not an argument for whose idea, opinion, or belief is better. So please let us readers know your thoughts on this. Thanks



So which one is it?
Does a new relationship affect your current relationship? or is it the other way around, and the current relationship affects the new one?

Does a relationship have inherent privileges, rights, responsibilities, and expectations? Or do those grow as the relationship grows? Does starting a new relationship reduce, or remove the privileges, rights, responsibilities, and expectations of the longer term relationship(s)? Does the newest relationship have the “right” to say hey I want this, and telling me “not now” is couple privilege? Or is it acceptable for the longer-term relationship to stick to their expectations of each other, and allow their relationship to organically grow to include the newest relationship at a rate that works for the longer-term “couple”? Or does the newer relationship get to dictate the speed at which the longer-term dyad must change to accommodate it?

Basically all the above questions as the same thing. When in a relationship, and starting a new relationship which one is more affected? Which one should be more considerate of the other? Are there reasons why one relationship might have different rules, and responsibilities than another?

What rules, privileges, responsibilities, and expectations do you have in your various relationships and did those relationship start with those roles? or did they grow to include them, or did you have a relationship that had to adjust itself to accommodate changes to the roles it had?

Anyone have any resources for more info on couple privilege? I have read a little bit on this forum about it, but would like more education on the subject. (Yes I have done a google search, but that is not the same as receive an educational resource recommended by someone within this community)

On Privilege (more general than Couple privilege and maybe less volatile in this forum).


Privilege is not: About you. Privilege is not your fault. Privilege is not anything you've done, or thought, or said. It may have allowed you to do, or think, or say things, but it's not those things, and it's not because of those things. Privilege is not about taking advantage, or cheating, although privilege may make this easier. Privilege is not negated. I can't balance my white privilege against my female disadvantage and come out neutral. Privilege is not something you can be exempt from by having had a difficult life. Privilege is not inherently bad. It really isn't.

Privilege is: About how society accommodates you. It's about advantages you have that you think are normal. It's about you being normal, and others being the deviation from normal. It's about fate dealing from the bottom of the deck on your behalf.

Almost everyone who is reading this had some form of privilege. If you are a member of three marginalized groups, in ill health, and poor, you're still able to access and use the internet, both demonstrating and conferring privilege.

Some privileges are easy to demonstrate: Can you go into a random restaurant and order food? That's not something that those with food allergies, diabetics, celiacs, or a range of other conditions can count on. It's not something people whose religious convictions include following Kosher, Halal or other faith-based dietary restrictions (there are Christians, Buddhists and others to whom this applies) can count on in western society either.

Some privileges are harder to demonstrate: If you get a job, to what extent was that based on the way you look, your gender, your accent, your connections? How can you tell?

In closing I think everyone involved should be considerate, and thoughtful towards each other person. I feel that every relationship will affect every other relationship to some degree. Of course the more “solo” poly style is less likely (from description I have seen) to have major overlap affect the relationships, I still see some effects (such as time constraints changing as relationship come and go). Each poly style will likely have varying degrees of overlap, and difference in how much one relationship is likely to affect another. This discussion isn’t meant to be about your poly style, it’s meant to be about how your relationship affect each other. (speaking in terms where one dyad sees a negative affect and relates it to another dyad)
 
Does a relationship have inherent privileges, rights, responsibilities, and expectations? Or do those grow as the relationship grows?

I believe that you do have obligations and duties to the people that you form relationships with - friends, family, partners etc. This doesn't mean that many of the things you are obliged to do for them, you won't want to do anyway or at least, when you are in a healthy relationship, you want to do them. It just means that when you are someone's boyfriend, there is an expectation to meet the needs of your partner. No, not all of their needs, but the things that require from their romantic partner(s). On a side note, this is why partner selection/compatibility is so important; you can't be in a position where you are constantly having to sacrifice your own needs to meet theirs. You just won't be happy. These expectations, obligations, duties etc do evolve as the relationship progresses. People's needs change over time and relationships usually deepen. You share more entanglements and therefore you have more aspects of the relationship to maintain. Some of these entanglements are practical like finances and children, others are more to do with the emotional and social entanglements you develop with wider family and friends.

Does starting a new relationship reduce, or remove the privileges, rights, responsibilities, and expectations of the longer term relationship(s)?

No. You are only taking on new obligations, you are not lessening your existing obligations by spreading yourself thinner. That's why it is so important to recognise when you are poly saturated and unable to meet the obligations of having any more romantic partners. at that stage, it's best to limit the obligations you form by keeping any other potential relationships as casual as possible and being forthcoming with any newcomers about what you are able to offer and maintain in order to ensure that is compatible with their. What does need saying, however, is that agreeing to a polyamorous relationship, namely, your partner having more than one loving relationship at a time, means that you understand that they have obligations to fulfill with other people as well as yourself. Whilst that shouldn't mean they meet less of your needs than they were meeting previously, it does mean that some of their time will be earmarked for meeting someone else's needs. There will more than likely times when you both need your shared partner and despite your relationship with them existing longer than their relationship with them, their needs might be of a higher priority of then yours at that time. That might feel like you are now less important than you used to be, but that usually isn't the case. It is simply the fact that they now have obligations to more than one person and that might mean that they have to utilise time management skills to meet those obligations and maintain their relationships.

Or is it acceptable for the longer-term relationship to stick to their expectations of each other, and allow their relationship to organically grow to include the newest relationship at a rate that works for the longer-term “couple”?

Well, that's fine if the couple (or the person in the additional relationship at least) is forthcoming about these "expectations" with anyone they form a relationship with. This way, that person is able to see if those expectations are compatible with what they need, or if they are willing to give the relationship time to evolve to a state where it does meet their needs. What is definitely not acceptable is to give the impression that someone is able to become emotionally attached to you or your partner and then constantly change the rules of how attached they can become due to the miscommunication or incompatibility of needs in the existing relationship.

What rules, privileges, responsibilities, and expectations do you have in your various relationships and did those relationship start with those roles? or did they grow to include them, or did you have a relationship that had to adjust itself to accommodate changes to the roles it had?

We have a responsibility, an obligation, a duty to meet one another's needs as long as we want to keep fulfilling that duty. as long as it is still a positive and beneficial part of our lives. We have this expectation of one another regardless of how many other relationships we have. This expectation was formalised when we decided that we were in a romantic relationship.
 
The reality is that any change of any type effects any relationship.
Therefore, a new relationship is effected (regarding how it comes to be and how it operates) by the existence of existing relationships.

This is EASY to see and we ALL know it's true when we look at the manner in which romances are carried out for someone with children, versus someone without. There are songs about how different it is for "a single mom" for example. The lyrics from Brad Paisley's songs "He didn't have to be" are a great start for that one.

"When a single mom goes out on a date with somebody new
It always winds up feeling more like a job interview
My momma used to wonder if she'd ever meet someone
Who wouldn't find out about me and then turn around and run

I met the man I call my dad when I was five years old
He took my mom out to a movie and for once I got to go
A few months later I remember lying there in bed
I overheard him pop the question and prayed that she'd say yes"

It's not the same when no children are involved, because there doesn't need to be any concern regarding the existing relationship needs AND RESPONSIBILITIES that don't exist.

The same is true in a poly dynamic. If you have pre-existing relationships ESPECIALLY live-in relationships, then new relationships ARE going to alter them. It doesn't matter if it's new friendships, new babies, new siblings, new parents, new lovers etc. There will be effects on your time/availability/attention/focus/responsibilities etc. That's just a facet of life. To ignore that, is to be more than naive; it would be irresponsible.

HOW MUCH it's effected depends greatly upon the type of relationship you already have existing and the type of relationship you are starting.


If your current relationships are tightly entwined-there will be more impact then if they are more loosely entwined.
If the new relationship is more tightly entwined-there will be more impact then if it is more loosely entwined.


So, for me, my life is TIGHTLY entwined with my family. This isn't just my 2 loves. It's my two loves and my 2 children at home, 3 (and 1 spouse) children not at home, 2 grandsons, 3 of my 6 siblings (and their spouses) and a network of friends who aren't "just friends", they are family. I'm talking daily interaction with all of them. I'm talking several times a week of social interaction with all of them.
Plus my schooling and the home schooling of the 2 kids at home.

So for anyone "new" to date me. They are going to suddenly be part of a large, already established family network. Some people cringe at that idea (which is ok-but means we aren't going to date). This IS the life I have. It's been the life I have. My chosen family includes every single person I have ever dated, because breaking up doesn't mean that they aren't part of the family still.
ALL of these people are welcome in our home "without an invitation" and they all randomly appear. Our home is very much the "safe home" for a network of people somewhere over 50 people strong. There are only 5 of us living here ALL of the time. But on any given day any or all of the rest could appear.
This is "normal" for our life.

On the other hand, my sister is living with her boyfriend and his wife and their 2 youngest children. They never have company over (including family) except the maternal grandmother who babysits often. They also almost never socialize outside of their group as a family. My sister is regularly here, she is also a huge part of our greater network. But her boyfriend, his wife and the kids-not at all. The wife and the boyfriend have dated other people-and never met each others partners. They don't bring them home. The kids certainly aren't involved at all. It is interesting to note-that their marriage has been on the rocks for years and they fight endlessly over the "you did this" and "you did that" bs because the segregation that they keep-means that if either of them wants to see someone else, it results in them not taking care of some function at home with the kids our the house in order to be gone.
They've had issues with my sister, for the same reason when she didn't live there. She struggled because she was lucky to get a day or 2 every 8 weeks with him. Now that she's living there she "see's" him daily just as the rest of their family does. But she still struggles with not getting any time for romance (which he also doesn't get with his wife enough for anyone to be happy) because of the ongoing struggle with "who is responsible for what and whom" arguments.

That isn't true of everyone.

But, I think that having a more segregated poly style is functionally only possible in scenarios where there isn't as much overlap of responsibility. Situations that are more independently created (like Marcus describes) where each individual has their own individual responsibilities and there aren't a lot of joint responsibilities. The more responsibilities you have, the less time you have. The more joint responsibilities you have the higher the chances of someone getting resentful if you aren't there holding up your end of the bargain.

I know for me; I'm not going to be the "live in nanny/housekeeper/cook" to our household so that the guys can be gone for days at a time with someone else.
Someone else can come here.
Likewise-we JUST YESTERDAY had it OUT over the same subject-not regarding poly.
I'm not going to do it for hteir jobs either. Maca has been gone for work 6 of every 8 weeks since Mid May. The job won't finish until after Christmas.
I told him point blank. NO WAY NO HOW will that happen again.
I don't give a shit if it means losing his job. I'm not going to tolerate it. We have a joint responsiblity. I didn't get married so I could be a single parent (and yes GG is here-but he's been working 60-80 hours a week as well).
I also told GG-no. No way. No How. Not playing it.

The kids are emotionally devastated. It's not fair to them. It's not fair to me. A job requiring more than 40 hrs a week on a regularly basis. NO. A job that takes you out of town for more than 2 of every 4 weeks. No.
The same goes for another partner.

If I am going to have the responsiblilites of a single parent. I'm going to have my OWN home. My OWN life and not be held to the requirement of workign "with" their needs and their requests.
(which I don't want and neither do they-but it bears repeating since their bosses seem to think it's perfectly reasonable since they have me here to "pick up the slack". But I'm not the "slack picker upper".)
 
But remember, OP, it's perfectly possible to strike a happy balance with your spouse where you both get to spend days away from your home and with your other partners. You know like, you stay out from Friday to Saturday with your partner, I stay out Saturday to Sunday with my partner and we have our date night on Wednesday. We can change this around to suit all of our responsibilities as we need to. It doesn't mean that both parents have to be present all the time to share the parenting duties. I wouldn't have a new partner around my child and nor would I agree to hang out with a new partner's children. That sort of thing is a good few steps down the road, in my world. Not to be done in the early stages of dating.
 
But remember, OP, it's perfectly possible to strike a happy balance with your spouse where you both get to spend days away from your home and with your other partners. You know like, you stay out from Friday to Saturday with your partner, I stay out Saturday to Sunday with my partner and we have our date night on Wednesday. We can change this around to suit all of our responsibilities as we need to. It doesn't mean that both parents have to be present all the time to share the parenting duties. I wouldn't have a new partner around my child and nor would I agree to hang out with a new partner's children. That sort of thing is a good few steps down the road, in my world. Not to be done in the early stages of dating.

I appreciate your point of view when it comes to introducing children to new people (friends, partners, lovers, ect). This thread is actually a response to a couple of threads in the poly relationship corner that I read about 2 weeks ago. Where a poster was told that they weren't poly, were using couple privilege, and controlling their partners other relationship (told they had control issues). However my PoV was that the poster in questions was negotiating to keep the changes in the posters relationship to a level manageable for that poster. Versus having everything change over night, which can be a shock to a person no matter how comfortable they are with poly.

There are many abrupt changes that can happen in a posters life that can (and often are) a shock to that persons system. What I read pointed to the poster recognizing that in themselves, and negotiating to keep the "shock" of sudden change to what the poster felt more comfortable.

I found it very off putting that the story shared by this poster generated so many negative responses and judgement on the person character. Sharing a story about your life makes you vulnerable, and being called controlling, told you aren't poly, can feel like you are being attacked. I feel people forget that this site is for sharing, and learning versus attacking. So I created this thread hoping to get discussion going about how relationship actually affect each other. How successful (or new) poly people handle the changes that come into their lives as partners come and go. I am hoping that more people will post their points of view so that poly people who come here to read and learn can get points of view in a non-threatening, non-argumentative manner. It helps to remove the stronger emotions so a person can really consider other ways of doing things, and decide if any of what they are reading speaks to them, or would be something they want to implement in their own life.
 
However my PoV was that the poster in questions was negotiating to keep the changes in the posters relationship to a level manageable for that poster.

When you are in a network of relationships with additional people, you also have to consider the comfort levels of those other people - some might be people you are not in a relationship with and will hardly, if ever, interact with. There is a fine line between me accommodating the comfort levels of my partner, and my partner dictating the nature and pace of my other relationships. Some people might be alright with their metamour doing that so as long as people are upfront that will be the case and don't try and conceal that they exercise that sort of privileging of the primary relationship, there is nothing wrong with that. As for whether it's poly or not, I define polyamory as someone having the potential to have more than one loving relationships at the same time with he knowledge and consent of all involved; it's about them having or being able to have more than one person they view as a romantic partner. That's up to the people involved to decide whether their arrangement/relationship style truly allows for that. I do find that some people claim that they have an arrangement that allows for that possibility but with the level of control and restrictions exercised over those other relationships, I find it hard to see how someone would be able to genuinely bond with the person enough for the relationship to progress to the sort of stage when someone becomes a romantic partner. That's when I guess I question how genuine the desire for polyamory is.
 
However my PoV was that the poster in questions was negotiating to keep the changes in the posters relationship to a level manageable for that poster. Versus having everything change over night, which can be a shock to a person no matter how comfortable they are with poly.

There are many abrupt changes that can happen in a posters life that can (and often are) a shock to that persons system. What I read pointed to the poster recognizing that in themselves, and negotiating to keep the "shock" of sudden change to what the poster felt more comfortable.

I found it very off putting that the story shared by this poster generated so many negative responses and judgement on the person character.

Been there and done that and it sucks!

The reality is (and somehow people do seem to forget this) change is a stressor, stressors put stress on our body (good or bad stressors doesn't matter). Too many stressors simultaneously and we end up with a variety of health issues.

That is one of the big deals that has been addressed in our polydynamic. We have a busy life. It's important to work as a team so that we aren't creating so many changes/stressors (good or bad) at one time that they create health issues (mental or physical) for anyone in the family. That takes some imaginative work at times. But it is do-able.

Unfortunately-a lot of people get up in arms over that. I have disengaged completely from our local poly group because of how horribly I was treated because I asked for a pause in forward progress while dealing with a MAJOR medical issue that resulted in hospitalization. Even though it was CLEARLY a medical issue I needed help with (which resulted in my needing more care from my partners AND our children needing more care from my partners as I was unable to do my part); the request to pause forward progress was still seen as "unfair".
The end result was no forward progress and termination of even a friendship (there was no dating relationship at that point anyway) because when everything came down to the end of the wire, every person in our family was so offended by the way I was treated, that even the one who was originally wanting to date the person who started the "holy war" against me-couldn't stand by it.

It's sad that people feel like steps towards some pre-determined utopia are unreasonable and all people should simply be there suddenly. Because-that isn't reality.
 
LovingRadiance said:
It's sad that people feel like steps towards some pre-determined utopia are unreasonable and all people should simply be there suddenly. Because-that isn't reality.

People are certainly in different stages of their development, no doubt about it. While I might be good to go for one sort of big life change it would be safe to say that there are others which will knock me on my proverbial ass. When hearing that someone "needs some time" and asks me to make a change to my life I hope that I will take the time to empathize with their situation before I decide my course of action.

On the other side of the coin, if life seems to be getting away from me and I want IV to make some kind of concession in her relationships for my sake I need to face the reality that not everyone is going to embrace that. I need to realize, as I do, that when I ask someone to change their behavior to suit my circumstance (reasonable or otherwise) that they may well say "no". I am not entitled to their capitulation and I hope that they have the self respect to not submit to me because they feel obligated.

To add to the description of my personal stance, I am of the opinion that even *asking* someone to adjust their romantic life for my sake would need to be an absolute last resort. Therapy, geographical relocation, new job, new friends, and any other alternative I can think of will come before I ask someone to suit me.

LovingRadiance said:
Even though it was CLEARLY a medical issue I needed help with (which resulted in my needing more care from my partners AND our children needing more care from my partners as I was unable to do my part); the request to pause forward progress was still seen as "unfair".

There's no harm in someone having a negative opinion about a choice you've made, but it sounds like the person in question was starting a smear campaign or something. I would go out of my way to make sure that persons presence is minimized in my life lol

If I can ask LR, when you had your major medical crisis and needed more help than you otherwise would have, could you simply have asked for the help? I'm curious why you decided that the extra step of requesting that someone elses romantic relationship be altered. Was there something particular about the "progress" they were making in their relationship which needed to be halted?

It would just make more sense to ask for the help needed. "I can't do this part anymore, can one of you guys pick that up?" etc.

I found it very off putting that the story shared by this poster generated so many negative responses and judgement on the person character

For the record, this is a discussion forum, not an internet support group. However, if someone is being "attacked" that needs to be reported to the moderators.
 
My obligations to my family (children and spouse) work and school come first. if I meet someone they get fit around that schedule. For instance, I work 3 nights a week, I have 4 nights at home. N and I agreed that we would each only spend the night 1 night a week elsewhere, that would give us 2 night a week together as a family. I think that is reasonable. if another partner had an issue with that then it's a shame because it's not something I'm willing to change.
 
When you are in a network of relationships with additional people, you also have to consider the comfort levels of those other people
My OP is referring to how new relationship affect current (older) relationships. And how older (current) relationship affect new ones. There is an effect on both. I understand that people already apart of a set Polyship are going to be considered when negotiating wants/needs within my relationships (it’s the sensible thing to do). I’m talking about new ones, and how they affect the network (using your terminology). My polyship is quite small, so not much of a network.



There is a fine line between me accommodating the comfort levels of my partner, and my partner dictating the nature and pace of my other relationships. Some people might be alright with their metamour doing that so as long as people are upfront that will be the case and don't try and conceal that they exercise that sort of privileging of the primary relationship, there is nothing wrong with that.

The scenario does not have to refer to a primary type relationship, just a relationship that is settled, has a rhythm, and now is adjusting to a new relationship that may or may not actually take off.

*like anyone else*Not every person I date will actually turn out to be a new partner for me. I do however want the option for that new person to turn into more than just a friend “getting to know you “ date. So I will talk with my partner(s) about how I feel, and see how they feel, and what may need to be negotiated. I have responsibilities to the people who are already apart of my partnership, I do not have the same responsibilities to someone I’m just now getting to know. For me once I have discussed the possibility of starting a new partner/love connection with someone new (In my case this happens BEFORE I start looking to date) with my current partners, then I would need to talk to my new potential and see what their expectations are, and if what I have available will fit within their expectations, or if more negotiation needs to be made. <does that help with clarity? Or am I confusing things?>


Been there and done that and it sucks!

The reality is (and somehow people do seem to forget this) change is a stressor, stressors put stress on our body (good or bad stressors doesn't matter). Too many stressors simultaneously and we end up with a variety of health issues.
Exactly, change is a stressor, more change more stress. Sudden change especially when it’s a lot can be very very stressful.

Unfortunately-a lot of people get up in arms over that. I have disengaged completely from our local poly group because of how horribly I was treated because I asked for a pause in forward progress while dealing with a MAJOR medical issue that resulted in hospitalization. Even though it was CLEARLY a medical issue I needed help with (which resulted in my needing more care from my partners AND our children needing more care from my partners as I was unable to do my part); the request to pause forward progress was still seen as "unfair".
A pause in forward progress, that’s all you needed/asked for. With MAJOR medical crisis and several young children. As I recall You have a LARGE "family" (including non-bio family). I think I’d be making a call for all hands on deck. :) Partners, metas, grandfolks, anyone and everyone willing to lend some help.


For the record, this is a discussion forum, not an internet support group. However, if someone is being "attacked" that needs to be reported to the moderators.
Discussion sure, making judgements of a persons character over their need to negotiate to reduce the stress of sudden change within their relationship, is outside what I’d call a discussion. Perhaps we differ in that, but I don’t remember if you were one of the posters to the thread I’m thinking of.

******
*Hypothetical*
Ok, so I am poly, and I have a long term relationship (live in, married, whatever), or two. Then I meet someone new If I decide that there is potential there, and I talk to this new person about my poly status and they are ok with it. Then I will need this new person to be understanding I am not a single who can just offer all my time to them. I have time constraints, and responsibilities (as I suspect all poly people do) that have nothing to do with this new person (or at least not yet). I’m willing to talk about what those restraints/responsibilities are, and why they are. I am also willing to make adjustments, and be flexible. I do however expect someone new to also be willing to be flexible, and understanding of my non single lifestyle.

I’ll use something that isn’t exactly poly, but that fits.
Momoiroi and her school friend want to have a sleepover.
Momoiroi discusses this with the parents.
Momoiroi’s friend discusses it with their parents.

Questions to be considered:
Whose home will they have their sleepover?
What day will the sleepover be?
When will the kids need to go home from Momoiroi home, if they stay there?
When will the kids have to go home from the friends home if they stay there?

Considerations/responsibilities:
School schedules of kids, and adults
Work Schedules of person in each home
Disruption of the normal workings of each home

Poly math works here:
Dyad between me, and Kuroi
Dyad between friends parents
Dyad between me and Momoiroi
Dyad between Kuroi and Momoiroi
Dyad between Friend and Parent 1
Dyad between Friend and Parent 2
Dyad between Momoiroi and Friend
Triad between me, Kuroi, and Momoiroi
Triad between Friend, and Parent 1, and 2

The needs of my dyad(s), and triad will be part of my discussion with Momoiroi
The needs of the friends dyad(s), and triad will be part of their discussion

My dyad/triad needs will affect their dyad/triad
Their Dyad/triad needs will affect my dyad/triad
And all of the above “needs” will affect the dyad between Momoiroi and the friend.
I am willing to negotiate within my dyad/triad for Momoiroi and friend to have their sleepover. They may not be able to get their sleep over as soon as they want, or on the day that they want. They will have to be flexible, and willing to negotiate.

The same can be said for anyone new interacting with a relationship that has an established “normal”. (Interacting with one person who is in a relationship will have an affect on the relationship even if there is no interaction between meta’s - if nothing else time management will change for the existing relationship) Flexibility, and a willingness to negotiate is needed. Even in the solo styled polyship there are established “normals” in the older longer term relationship that a new relationship will need to flexible enough to work within, or be willing to negotiate for what they are looking for.

Does stating things in this way help to see that the existing relationship isn’t “controlling” the “new” relationship? It is being affected, and consideration of the existing relationship should be seen as sensible, yes?

The existing relationship(s) don’t disappear when a poly person starts up a new relationship. And by extension the existing partners needs, and the responsibilities to those partners also do not disappear when a new relationship begins. Therefore (in my eyes) it is not just that the existing partner that needs to be accommodating to the new partner, it is also the new partner who needs to be accommodating to the existing partner(s). Again I acknowledge that this “accommodation” isn’t as big for the solo polyists.
 
My obligations to my family (children and spouse) work and school come first. if I meet someone they get fit around that schedule. For instance, I work 3 nights a week, I have 4 nights at home. N and I agreed that we would each only spend the night 1 night a week elsewhere, that would give us 2 night a week together as a family. I think that is reasonable. if another partner had an issue with that then it's a shame because it's not something I'm willing to change.

What if the new partner wants to negotiate for another sleepover? Would you consider the new partner spending the night at your place? (Kids might make that unrealistic depending on how you handle introducing partners to your kids)

Maybe a hypothetical would work. Say the kids are spending the summer with the grandfolks. Would it then be something that could be negotiated where your partner could spend a night with you at your home? Or where your spouses partner could spend a night at your home (while you are working)? Or since the kids are not home maybe increase the overnight outside the home?
 
Marcus-my exact request was for no forward steps to her being brought to our home for a couple of weeks. I never have asked that either of my partners step back from a relationship. I didnt ask that they even not see each other. I didnt want her around me.
She did absolutely start a smear campaign. Since I refused to participate, it ended up becoming a situation (after almost a year of pointed harassment) where I had to consult an attorney about filing a restraining order.
Mind you, she was not ever invited to our home in that time because after her nastiness erupted the first week, GG was not ok with her being there either. Maca was unhappy with the behavior, but kept trying to talk it out with her to resolve things. It took him 8 months to decide it was hopeless.
And as a reminder, this is someone he was not dating. They met for coffee, had dinner and introduced each other to friends/family. But she made it clear before meeting me that she wasnt interested in dating him or being sexually involved.
She was angry aabout feeling like my request to not have her in my home (she had only ever been there one time) infringed on her rights as a potential FRIEND.
 
Murasaki-absolutely! We had help from our adult daughter and her husband, my mom and stepdad and my sister. The other family is spread far enough they werent readily available.
But- as noted, this wasn't a request to stop a relationship, deter or even set boundaries on frequency of visits/contact.
It was actually a request to not have her in my presence while I was already suffering. Ironically-she wouldnt know, but it wasnt just her. I dont care for any people I am not close to around me during a crisis.
Even in labor and delivery, no nurses, no friends, no extra family. Just my SO and dr (or midwife).
Medical vulnerability for me is significant and I dont want people I dont trust *in that circumstance* around me.

Which-in my opinion is a minor request.

But it erupted into a shitstorm that acquaintances in Washington who were involved in helping start the poly group here witnessed.
I suppose its telling that I exited silently.
The drama ensued.
It took about a year and most of the original people reached out to me with "I just didnt know what to do" explanations.
But for me personally-I see it as a burned bridge.

I don't accept that its ok to stand by and allow someone to be so abusive (details logged in other threads) and a group not step up and say "we dont allow that behavior in our social events". Its not side taking. Its expecting adult behavior. But-that is not the attitude here.
 
And yes-I like the way you laid out your example.

Negotiation isnt about control necessarily. It is about working a new thing into an existing thing.
 
What if the new partner wants to negotiate for another sleepover? Would you consider the new partner spending the night at your place? (Kids might make that unrealistic depending on how you handle introducing partners to your kids)

Maybe a hypothetical would work. Say the kids are spending the summer with the grandfolks. Would it then be something that could be negotiated where your partner could spend a night with you at your home? Or where your spouses partner could spend a night at your home (while you are working)? Or since the kids are not home maybe increase the overnight outside the home?

Partners spending the night while N or I are gone is fine.
 
My OP is referring to how new relationship affect current (older) relationships. And how older (current) relationship affect new ones. There is an effect on both. I understand that people already apart of a set Polyship are going to be considered when negotiating wants/needs within my relationships (it’s the sensible thing to do). I’m talking about new ones, and how they affect the network (using your terminology). My polyship is quite small, so not much of a network.

Regardless of whether it's a new relationship or a first date, you still have to consider the needs of the other person. I would find it very rude if someone I was going on a date with was more interested in accommodating their wife's needs than thinking about what I might need for the date to have a chance at success.

The scenario does not have to refer to a primary type relationship, just a relationship that is settled, has a rhythm, and now is adjusting to a new relationship that may or may not actually take off.

Again, just because you haven't formalised any sort of relationship agreement or commitment to someone that you are interacting with, it doesn't mean that their opinions get to be dismissed, or deemed less important than those of your partner. Not unless they are okay with their needs being secondary and not really considered until they agree to a relationship with you. Personally, I wouldn't be able to bond sufficiently with anyone who made me earn the right for my opinions about our relationship to be considered; we would never be able to get to relationship stage. You can easily replace primary with "relationship that has existed the longest". Because that is what you are asking, isn't it? You are creating this dichotomy between meeting the needs of your existing partner and meeting the needs of potential/new partners. You can actually do both if your existing partner's needs are reasonable and do not continuously impact on the other relationships you have.

Not every person I date will actually turn out to be a new partner for me. I do however want the option for that new person to turn into more than just a friend “getting to know you “ date. So I will talk with my partner(s) about how I feel, and see how they feel, and what may need to be negotiated. I have responsibilities to the people who are already apart of my partnership, I do not have the same responsibilities to someone I’m just now getting to know.

See, what would be logical to me is to discuss what that person would need for that option to be there and then I would consider whether I can meet those needs given the obligations I already have. Discussing how I develop new relationships, ie my polyamory, is something that should be settled between any existing partners already, before there are any potential partners on the scene. So, when I do meet someone else, I think about interacting and bonding with them and not having to console my existing partner(s). I am or should be already meeting their needs. We already know what my obligations and how much time I have to spend with any additional partners. I know that I will need to find someone who doesn't require an amount of time that I am unable to give as well as maintain the relationships and responsibilities I have already. Why will my existing partner's needs suddenly going to drastically change now I have someone else on the scene? If that was a regular occurrence, I'd certainly question whether it was a manipulation technique.

I do however expect someone new to also be willing to be flexible, and understanding of my non single lifestyle.

Yes, all parties have to be flexible and adaptable. That includes people in existing relationships. If you want to have a relationship with other people, you have to be able to meet their needs, create the environment they need to bond with someone in that way as well as what you need or the relationship has no chance of success.

Does stating things in this way help to see that the existing relationship isn’t “controlling” the “new” relationship?

I think that if there are rules and agreements in the existing relationship that define how and when one interacts with potential partners, then the existing relationship is controlling new relationships. My obligation to my existing partner is to meet the needs that he has of his romantic partner(s). When I stop doing that, I am then being a less than responsible partner. If his needs included controlling the way I interact with new partners regardless of whether I am fulfilling my obligations to him, it would be me and him that have the incompatibility. If my new/potential partner needed me to shirk my ongoing responsibilities in order to create a relationship with them, that would be a sign of our incompatibility. I will not treat someone badly (by dismissing their needs) in order to maintain or build another relationship.

Therefore (in my eyes) it is not just that the existing partner that needs to be accommodating to the new partner, it is also the new partner who needs to be accommodating to the existing partner(s). Again I acknowledge that this “accommodation” isn’t as big for the solo polyists.

I absolutely agree that both people have to be flexible and acknowledge that their shared partner has obligations to more than one person. I disagree that "solo" poly involves less accommodation of this kind: just because I might not see/meet/interact with someone's wife, it doesn't mean that I don't have to constantly make sure my needs are not impeding on her needs. The difference is that I don't view the wife's needs as more important than that of new or potential partners. From the time I start to consider a relationship with someone, or I am interested in interacting with them in a romantic and /or sexual way, what they need for that budding union to potentially blossom becomes as important as my needs and any of my partner's needs. Being as important doesn't mean that everything will go their way, but it means they will be given an equal voice, equal consideration, whilst I decide how best to proceed. This might mean that I hear their needs, acknowledge that I am unable to meet them with my current obligations and decide that I therefore cannot ethically build a relationship with them.
 
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Medical vulnerability for me is significant and I dont want people I dont trust *in that circumstance* around me. .

That's not an accommodation that needed to be made for a current relationship, that sounds like someone in the house is very sick and doesn't want trouble making trash stomping around the house - and said so.

I don't think that has anything to do with how their relationship was progressing, that's just a specific boundary "Don't bring that crazy asshole here please." If your partner had decided he didn't want to respect that boundary and wanted to bring her around anyway, someone would have needed to move out.

Protecting yourself from harassment and abuse is not optional and doesn't have anything to do with couple privilege.

LR, please move your family out of that place!! You live in the wilderness of insanity!! :(
 
LR, please move your family out of that place!! You live in the wilderness of insanity!! :(

We are working on it. ;) Alaska is a VERY VERY different place.
Some things are good.
Some are SO NOT.


(FYI-there was never a question of respecting the boundary, but she just would not let it go)
 
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