[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBlZG4P7F24[/youtube]Open marriages – are they always a bad idea? Are they ever a good idea? Every individual and every couple is different. What an open marriage means to one couple may mean something entirely different to another.
Many things come into play when you start thinking about sharing your partner with someone else – and there’s lots of room for hurt feelings, jealousy and even feelings for the outside partner.
How can you sort out whether or not having an open marriage is a good idea for you and your partner?
Dear Dan and Jennifer,
I’m married, have a child and pregnant with second. My husband introduce the idea of “Open Marriage”. I do not see signs of him cheating so this is not an excuse for him to seek affairs. I started to have straying thoughts lately, because of my unsatisfied sex life and a cute male co-worker. He is not the player type but he fell for me and he struggles like me.
If no one is happy in this situation, would the open marriage thing really be the cure? Is it worth it adjusting my personal views on open marriage? What do I do if I fall in love with the new guy but he is not as good as my husband in terms of being a dad? What do I say to my kids one day? I feel so bad, and I don’t know what to do. Please help me.
— Jane, California
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBlZG4P7F24[/youtube]
How to know if an open marriage is right for you
First of all, it’s pretty much a known fact (or at least an unspoken one) that open marriages are exclusively for relationships that are strong. Real strong. Does that mean that people always abide by that? Of course not!
Many people feel that an open relationship could possibly “fix” problems in a marriage or if they are bored or drifting apart that seeing other people (in addition to their relationship) is the answer. This is far from the truth – in the majority of relationships that are on the rocks, deciding to have an open marriage ends up making things much, much worse.
You should only consider having an open marriage if you and your partner are extremely happy with each other, and your relationship is strong. “Swinging” or an open marriage can definitely spice things up.
Part of finding out if your marriage is strong enough to handle an open relationship is asking yourself some difficult questions. Why are you thinking about an open marriage? Is your partner the one suggesting it? Why do you think they are bringing it up? If the answers to those questions are “sex” then you’re probably on the right track.
Open marriages and swinging are really all about experiencing a new level of sexual awareness that you and your partner have never had before. It can be fun and exciting when the motives are purely sexual and there are no emotions involved.
When an open marriage is a bad idea
If your answers to those questions gravitate more towards the fact that you and your partner are looking to fill an emotional void that your current partner isn’t filling, you’re headed into dangerous waters. That’s when you need to sit down and really think about your current relationship – are you and your partner really happy together?
If not, it’s something you need to work out before you and your partner start seeing other people in an open marriage.
Generally, if you and your partner are seeking an open relationship for healthy, sexual reasons and not because you’re unhappy with the other, you’re fine to try an open marriage.
If you find that you and your partner are unhappy with each other or unhappy with your marriage, an open relationship will really rock the boat and you’re much better off working to make your current marriage healthy or going your separate ways.
If having an open marriage is really what you and your partner want, then go for it. Just make sure that you and your partner are completely open and honest with each other. Talk to each other about your experiences and feelings about each other and about the situation. Play it safe and play it smart sexually and you and your partner may end up growing closer together.