Tips for Dating Several Partners

Exclusive relationships are not the only option for modern couples.  Years ago it was completely unheard of for one person to be dating more than one person at the same time but today it is fairly common.  The idea of casual dating allows for singles to enjoy the company of a few individuals without necessarily being in a committed relationship with any of them.  There are a few rules that apply in this situation.  Most of the rules that apply relate to common sense and not hurting the feelings of others.  It is possible for relationships of this nature to work as long as you follow a few simple tips such as being honest with your partners about the situation, carefully scheduling your time to ensure that you are being fair to everyone involved and not using one relationship to influence another relationship.  Keeping these straightforward tips in mind will help to simplify the details of a non-exclusive relationship.

The importance of honesty in a non-exclusive relationship can't be stressed enough.  This is one of the most important details of relationships of this nature.  It is imperative that each of your partners understands the situation completely so that no one has unrealistic expectations about the relationship.  If you feel as though you are not yet ready to commit to one person in a mutually exclusive relationship then it is important that your partners be aware of this fact.  It may be possible to be involved in more than one relationship for a short amount of time but it is inevitable that one or more of your partners will learn of your deception.  In this case your dishonesty will most likely cost you your relationships.  However, if you are honest about your intentions then there is no reason for your other partners to be hurt by your reactions.  If everyone involved is understanding and agreeable of the situation than these types of relationships can work but they require complete honesty. 

Scheduling is another important consideration in a non-exclusive relationship.  This is critical because you should try to be fair to everyone involved, including yourself, to ensure that no one is feeling neglected.  It is important to realize that each relationship deserves the attention that it needs to grow.  It is unfair to expect one relationship to survive if you are unable to provide that relationship with an adequate amount of attention.  If you notice yourself focusing the majority of your attention on one relationship in particular this may be an indication that it is time to end the other relationships and entering into an exclusive relationship.  While some relationships naturally require more work and time than others, you should be able to tell when your lack of attention on one relationship is due to the relationship coming to an end.  Also, it's important that you not put unrealistic expectations on yourself in these relationships.  If you are finding that you are placing too much stress on yourself, you may need to re-evaluate the relationships to determine if it is in your best interest to end some of them.

Finally, it is important to view your relationships separately and not allow one relationship to influence the others.  It is also important to not use details from one relationship to gain leverage in another relationship.  This is unfair to both you and your partners.  Each relationship deserves the respect of being treated separately and independently of your other relationships.  Failure to do this can create resentment in one or more of your relationships.  Also, making comparisons is unfair.  It is unreasonable to expect one relationship to try to duplicate another relationship.  Ideally, if you are involved in more than one relationship it is because each one offers something unique and trying to get one relationship to duplicate this unique aspect is unfair and unrealistic.  Instead you should focus on enjoying each relationship for what they have to offer.

Being involved in several non-exclusive relationships isn't easy but it is possible.  It is important to remember that if you choose to be in relationships of this nature then it is important to be honest with everyone involved.  It is also important to schedule your time so that none of your relationships is neglected.  Also, keeping the relationships separate and avoiding judging one against the other will help to prevent resentment.  With these tips in mind you should be able to maintain amicable relationships.