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A portion back, we shared stories from radical who grew up with polyamorous parents. Then respective users decided to stock their ain stories. Here's what they said:
Some submissions are besides from this thread due to the fact that they're conscionable excessively bully not to share.
1. "My puerility felt typical. I had a dada and a mom, and they had a woman that lived with us. Their woman did not truly enactment arsenic a genitor to me. It was much similar having 1 of my parents' friends astir each the time. Being a kid without immoderate conception of sexuality (until puberty), it seemed beauteous mean to maine that my dada would smooch my ma and past smooch Janet erstwhile helium near oregon came home. It conscionable looks similar love, and it ne'er bothered me. Kids astatine schoolhouse didn't truly cognize astir it. My parents tended to code it down astir my friends."
"There was a batch of emotion successful our home. That's beauteous overmuch the lone happening that seems antithetic to me. (Compared to my friends whose parents were divorced oregon ever fighting.) I wouldn't alteration a happening astir however I grew up oregon my parents' poly relationship."
2. "I was raised successful a household with 10 half-brothers and fractional sisters, 5 regular step-moms, and galore one-time aunts. Worst, I was the lone kid without a biologic mother, truthful I was bullied and isolated astir of the time. I was mislaid and learned to beryllium precise autarkic passim my life."
—Anonymous
3. "I grew up successful a tiny village, truthful everyone was close, and aft my dada virtually moved halfway astir the world, a fewer couples truly stepped up and helped my ma and me. I see them aunts and uncles. I deliberation I was similar 14/15 erstwhile my ma asked maine to effort and hole her computer. I was going done each of the files, and I recovered photos that I person managed to pain the existent images from my brain, but they were intersexual pictures of her and/or stepdad with my assorted aunts/uncles. (I've ne'er told her I saw the photos, conscionable fixed immoderate was wrong)."
"Suddenly, the trips they each instrumentality unneurotic made sense. I'm successful my 30s now, and they inactive spell connected trips, and I inactive see them my aunts and uncles. They bash not cognize I cognize that the narration is simply a spot much than conscionable truly bully friends.
Maybe I'll archer my ma 1 day, but I don't really care. It showed maine you tin beryllium loved by aggregate radical successful antithetic ways, and arsenic agelong arsenic everyone is blessed and communicating, bash what you want."
—Anonymous
4. "Over the people of 15 years, my dada had 3 important girlfriends (at antithetic times), each portion helium was inactive joined to my mom. It conscionable seemed mean to me, and it wasn't until similar 6th people that I realized that everyone else's household wasn't similar mine. Around that time, my friends each of a abrupt weren't allowed to travel implicit to my location anymore due to the fact that their parents had recovered retired astir Kelly, my dad's woman astatine the time. I don't person immoderate qualms with what my parents did. They were ever precise unfastened and honorable with america kids astir the full thing. But the mode everyone other reacted felt similar sh*t to maine arsenic a child, it forced maine to get beauteous bully astatine lying, taught maine to enactment walls up, and not to spot others, which is astir apt the astir antagonistic happening astir the full situation."
5. "From erstwhile I was astir 7 to erstwhile I was astir 17, my parents were successful a polyamorous narration of sorts. It was my mother, my father, and different pistillate I'll telephone 'D.' She lived successful the location with america and was romantically progressive with my mother, astatine least. She did enactment arsenic a benignant of 3rd genitor successful galore ways, and passim astir of that time, I would accidental I had a blessed and loving childhood. I didn't consciousness unusual astir it, and I don't retrieve ever being teased. When I was younger, I would conscionable archer my friends that she was my parents' person who was surviving with us. When she left, my parent was precise upset and did not privation her to pass with my sister and maine anymore, and truthful I person not heard from her successful years. I'm 24 now, and my parents divorced astir 3 years ago."
6. "My dada has a fewer wives. I person a batch of half-siblings. I don't similar it 1 bit. He doesn't dainty my ma well. I was ever embarrassed astir it erstwhile I reached precocious school. I ne'er told anyone astir it. Personally, I don't similar the lifestyle, but that is conscionable me. I cognize it is corny and cheesy, but I anticipation I find my existent love/soulmate 1 day. I privation to person amusive too."
7. "My parents were successful a semipermanent polyamorous narration portion I was increasing up. I didn't truly recognize it, and erstwhile I did, I thought I conscionable blocked it retired 'cause it was normal. When I was 8, and my small member was 5, 1 of my parents' friends was visiting much often, and that was cool. And past she was staying with america a lot, successful a spare room, and that was chill too. We liked her. And past yet she moved in, and truthful did her cat. I liked her cat. She ever had her ain room, though she ne'er seemed to walk excessively overmuch clip successful it. I didn't question it."
"She was our boarder arsenic acold arsenic I was concerned. It was wholly mean to person different random big conscionable unrecorded with america and beryllium semi aunt/parent/thing-ish due to the fact that she paid board, y'know? 'Twas a concern arrangement. My dada tried to speech to maine astir it once, but we're some precise awkward people, and we awkwarded implicit it, and I blocked it from my memory.
Eventually, my parents and her broke up, astir the clip I was moving retired of location astatine 18. She'd been portion of my beingness for astir 10 years. I inactive support successful interaction occasionally, we had a bully chat a fewer months aft it happened wherever we talked astir it from her constituent of view, however she'd ever said coming successful that we were a household portion and if thing happened she ever knew it was her that would conscionable leave. I don't cognize each the details, and I don't truly privation to.
My parents person a caller woman present that they're seeing, a fewer years later."
8. "I didn't adjacent cognize my parents were polyamorous until a fewer years agone (mid-20s). Growing up, I conscionable had a batch of 'uncles' and 'aunts,' and I thought it was comic my parents had truthful galore adjacent friends. It was a moving gag for my sister and I, past it turned retired to beryllium real, and got funnier."
9. "My dada has 2 wives. Growing up, I was ever pressured to beryllium my champion (I try, but I'm beauteous average) due to the fact that of my half-siblings. My half-siblings are leeches; I don't adjacent admit them arsenic my ain blood. Dad is retired, surviving connected a pension, and they're grown ass adults with their ain families and kids, and still inquire for Dad's money. Overall, I'd accidental I'm an good kid. I'm 23 now, and nary 1 other knows astir my dada having 2 wives different than my ex. Growing up, I ne'er truly cared overmuch astir my different family."
10. My parents were successful an unfastened narration until I was astir 17. I didn't cognize what an "open" narration was until I was 8, but radical successful my beingness would support making jokes astir it that I abruptly understood erstwhile I got it. To beryllium honest, it was truly rough. Not lone did my parents prosecute radical that I had already known (such arsenic my classmates' parents), but from clip to time, they would get precise superior with 1 of their different partners. My mom, successful particular, was successful a secondary narration with different pistillate from the clip I was 3 until I was 14 years old. She was fundamentally similar a 2nd parent to me, and erstwhile it yet each 'blew up,' I ne'er saw her again and began to consciousness similar it was a occupation with maine and not my parents."
"I besides felt insanely jealous of the different partners erstwhile I was younger. I felt similar my parents cared astir them much than me, and that they would permission maine to spell and commencement a caller household with them.
I didn't mean to overgarment the full acquisition arsenic negative! There were a fewer positives, and I consciousness like, due to the fact that of however unfastened my parents were astir their situation, dating was overmuch easier for maine than for others. Plus, the other Christmas presents were ever a bonus."
11. "I grew up successful an 'extended family.' It wasn’t until I was astir 15 that I learned what that meant. I had respective half-siblings and respective 'aunts and uncles' that were conscionable astir and portion of our lives. I number myself fortunate that I was ‘old enough’ to rationalize it. My youngest sibling was 11 erstwhile they recovered out, and it wrecked them. They developed an 'ultra cling, past ultra dump' rhythm — autumn madly successful emotion for 4 weeks, past distance."
"I deliberation that arsenic agelong arsenic parents’ choices connected their idiosyncratic beingness are kept distant from the children, and that most importantly, the superior parents/caregivers of the children are capable to relation exemplary a steadfast and loving relationship, past it doesn’t matter.
But the informing I’d springiness is that if that blows up and becomes an issue while the children are inactive maturing and creating their ain identities, it tin person a large impact."
12. "I grew up with lesbian parents who were not polyamorous, but my biologic begetter has ever played a large relation successful my life, and he's been happily successful a three-person narration with 2 different guys for the past 25 years. I grew up successful New Zealand, and they lived connected the different land to mine, truthful arsenic a kid/teenager, I regularly went up to enactment with them arsenic a mini holiday. Think of my dada and his partners arsenic uncle-type figures successful my life, which was ace important for maine arsenic a increasing boy, fixed that I travel from a household of mostly women."
"I honestly respect their narration truthful overmuch much than anyone other I tin deliberation of. It's unfastened and wholly based connected the emotion they person for each different (and others). In my dad's view, if you truly emotion somebody, past you privation what's champion for them. You don't privation to enactment restrictions connected their state to bash what they privation successful their lives. If idiosyncratic does consciousness the request to enactment restrictions connected the state of their partner, they deliberation that it whitethorn beryllium rooted successful the insecurities they person astir themselves, which is their ain occupation to beryllium fixed wrong themselves. Mostly, helium conscionable believes successful love; sexual, romantic, familial, oregon thing successful between."
13. "My begetter had 3 wives, my ma being the youngest. Things were beauteous good arsenic a kid — it was beauteous neat having 3 moms. If I couldn't get thing from 1 of them, I'd inquire another. Seriously. Having tons of brothers and sisters was beauteous chill, too. Although, successful retrospect, I astir apt didn't get the individualized attraction I whitethorn person needed arsenic a child. My dada and I some hold connected this constituent nowadays."
"Anyway, my blissful beingness changed astir the clip I was 14/15. We woke up to find that woman #2 had moved herself and her children retired successful the mediate of the night. These were my sisters and brothers. We were devastated. My parents tried to support america from a batch of the fallout, but it was beauteous inevitable.
I'm 30 now, and don't truly person immoderate relationships with my half-brothers and sisters from either wife. My ma and dada present stay happily joined successful a monogamous relationship, and I person my 2 afloat siblings to emotion on. As I've gotten older, though, I've learned that the household wasn't arsenic blessed arsenic I thought it was. There was a batch of resentment to spell around, but nary 1 was forced into thing either. Everyone went into it arsenic consenting adults.
I don't cognize if it's affected my presumption of love. So agelong arsenic determination is consent among ALL parties, and unfastened connection if idiosyncratic wants to bash it, I truly don't care."
14. "My puerility was mostly normal, with the objection of much parental figures. It is hard to get distant with childish hijinks erstwhile you person 8 oregon truthful parents, and I accidental you respond to that concern successful 2 ways. Like my sister, successful which you get truly bully astatine hiding your truly atrocious worldly down a fume surface of changeless misbehavior, oregon similar me, successful which you mostly don't bash anything. I understood that my household was antithetic beauteous precocious successful life. I didn't adjacent truly fig retired that godparents were overmuch intimately progressive with my existent parents, oregon that the 'friends' that stayed implicit sometimes were really their boyfriend/girlfriends, until astir apt mediate school. I didn't truly care, though. They were arsenic overmuch household to maine aft I figured it retired arsenic before."
15. "I grew up with a dada and 2 moms. My friends and I increasing up each thought it was antithetic but cool. There's ever idiosyncratic location erstwhile I get location from school. Always idiosyncratic to speech to erstwhile I had problems. It was nice."
But to beryllium just to my household and their friends, they were ever large to america kids. Never felt neglected oregon similar we were weird oregon anything. My household was ever precise enactment positive, but besides taught maine that enactment is simply a backstage thing. So we were ne'er exposed to thing different than seeing big humans being a spot much affectionate to each different than you'd expect. But I ever thought that was benignant of sweet, adjacent arsenic a kid. Like, wherefore aren't much radical similar that? I was ever told increasing up that immoderate your preferences are, arsenic agelong arsenic it's harmless and consensual, it's okay. Nobody needs to cognize your business, though, and it's nobody's f*cking concern either. Be yourself and beryllium happy."
16. "My puerility was good arsenic acold arsenic a loving household is concerned. All of the atrocious things had to bash with my parents' prime of narration style. Anyway, I was thoroughly loved and raised astir galore radical that cared astir me. I had galore 'babysitters' that were much apt my parents' girlfriends. I was ever astir an unfastened cognition towards sex, relationships, and towards the 'outsiders' of society. I didn't truly recognize that my parents lived 'differently' until I was an adult, possibly 23-25. Everything conscionable benignant of made consciousness each of a sudden."
"I'm happily married, and I've been with my woman for 14.5 years now. We person dated women unneurotic for astir 7 years. We person a woman close now, and she's precise lovely. I anticipation that she's successful my beingness for a precise agelong time, and my woman feels the aforesaid towards her. I'm a precise fortunate man. They're some truthful amazing."
17. "My dada has 3 wives. I'd accidental my puerility was beauteous good. I particularly loved increasing up with tons of siblings. They've ever been similar a societal information net. To this day, my siblings are my champion friends. We each grew up unneurotic successful 1 location arsenic a family, truthful I ever knew the different 2 wives arsenic my moms. It wasn't until I started schoolhouse that I realized it wasn't normal. As acold arsenic my thought of love? I deliberation it gave maine a much wide view. I grew up seeing radical onslaught oregon justice my parents for loving each different and their kids portion hurting nobody. It made maine deliberation that everybody should conscionable caput their ain concern astir who idiosyncratic loves, arsenic agelong arsenic each parties are consenting adults."
"And connected a much idiosyncratic level, seeing my parents interact with each different and flooded their jealousies taught maine that emotion is much than conscionable an emotion. It's a commitment. That being said, I don't deliberation I could ever perpetrate to much than 1 person. I'm not that selfless😅."
18. "My parents were monogamous until I was astir 13, and my older siblings had moved out. They were beauteous overmuch done with parenting and decided to make their narration 'to its adjacent stage'. The process wasn't ever mutual, and determination were galore powerfulness plays. That meant an unfastened matrimony for a fewer years, a 2nd woman for astir a year, and past a matrimony with different couple. It was each happening arsenic I was a young teenager, and it was beauteous f*cking intense. Try to ideate the affectional brinkmanship that goes into changing a narration that drastically successful conscionable a fewer years. The 2nd hubby couldn't grip it, tried to instrumentality his insecurities retired connected me, and past left. They were precise honorable and open. We had affectional processing discussions unneurotic successful the surviving room, and nary 1 wore apparel successful the jacuzzi, but I definite arsenic hellhole didn't stock immoderate of this with my friends. I lied my mode done precocious school."
"Many of you person said not to bring kids up successful this environment. I'm not definite that's a hard-and-fast rule, IF the narration is poly BEFORE they're born, due to the fact that immoderate radical present person been good with that erstwhile that's however beingness started. But I decidedly hold that you should not crook a kid's satellite upside down portion they're successful the house. If my parents had listened, I would person told them to hold until aft I moved out."
Responses person been edited for length/clarity.
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