Chris's article

Mother’s Day is a tricky holiday to celebrate indeed. More than likely, there are multiple women in your life you want to honor on this special day--two mother figures (your own mother and your partner’s mother) plus any sister wife in the family. Additionally, if you have daughters who are old enough to be mothers themselves, they need to be included in the equation, too. So how does it work in a poly relationship? When is it acceptable to introduce a potential sister wife to your children and celebrate holidays together? Who do you invite to the festivities? Let’s take a look at common questions regarding Mother’s Day in poly households.

How to spend Mother’s Day with sister wives

If you’re a man in a plural marriage, you might need to strategize. When in doubt, a big celebration with everyone included removes the risk of a sister wife feeling neglected. If time and resources permit, this holiday is also the perfect opportunity for quality one-on-one time with each sister wife. This precious day can help you establish some annual traditions like going out for dinner at a specific restaurant or visiting a place that means a lot to your relationship.

If you’re a sister wife and want to show how much you appreciate the other mamas in your relationship, even just a card, a bouquet of flowers, and a heartfelt speech can strengthen any bond. Likewise, a small act of love like preparing the day’s breakfast or offering to take their child (or children) for a few hours to free up time in their schedule can mean the world.

For established poly marriages with sister wives who have multiple children that have grown up together, this might not be a problem at all. You might already have a system in place where the host family rotates each year. Of course, not all poly relationships include children, and consequently, motherhood. Perhaps your dilemma is figuring out whose mother-in-law’s house you’ll visit for the day. In any case, clear communication and reasonable dialogue about expectations surrounding this holiday should not be avoided.

What’s the best gift for a sister wife with kids

We’ve all been there. We’ve struggled to pick out the right gift for a birthday or special occasion, and eventually settled for something generic. While generic works well for casual relationships like with coworkers or neighbors, it might spell disaster as a Mother’s Day offering.

Keep in mind that while being a mother can be a big part of a sister wife’s identity, that’s not their whole identity. Mothers in monogamous relationships also have other interests outside of caretaking, whether it’s a photography hobby, an annual international trip, or a reading club. Paying attention to a sister wife’s interests outside of family (whether you’re a partner or a fellow sister wife) and acknowledging it on big days like this only fosters a more loving relationship. My advice is to take note of their current likes and dislikes even before Mother’s Day, and pick out something with thought instead of opting for a gift they might end up returning to the store. While gift cards usually scream, “I didn’t know what to get you, so here’s $100 in credit,” it might actually work in your favor if the gift card is to a store or place a sister wife frequents.

When do we introduce someone to children at home?

Poly dating or not, this question baffles the best of us. Most love seekers follow the general rule of thumb of waiting three to six months before introducing someone to the family. This number might change depending on your children’s ages and therefore whether or not they have an understanding of your family dynamics. Moreover, you might introduce someone you (or you and your partner) are dating to friends before introducing them to your family. Why? Typically, meeting friends is less complicated and less stressful.

In terms of when to invite dating partners to big events at home, it depends. If your children have a close relationship with a sister wife (or unofficial sister wife) and see her as a mother figure, including her in Mother’s Day celebrations is natural. However, feelings are never clear cut, and your first wife (or the childrens’ mother) might not agree with sharing the title of Mom. Again, the key here is communication about expectations, but this time, you can extend the conversation to boundaries and family roles.

Other holidays with sister wives and poly families

The bottom line with poly families and holidays is that figuring out logistics might always be more effort than a nuclear family’s simple plans. This is especially true if sister wives and their children live in different households, or if the children have their own families, too.

The key to determining the best gift, venue, food, and entertainment is a matter of trial and error. You might not be able to control everything in life, but you can count on family members who would do anything to ensure your well-being, holiday or not. Together, you’ll figure out a system that works for everyone.

Published By: Christopher Alesich 

Matchmakers Inc: Sisterwives.com

Poly dating apps (and dating apps in general) have changed the matchmaking game. In terms of convenience, better matches, and inclusivity, poly dating has definitely benefited from modern ingenuity. Even so, all the apps out there yield a different user experience depending on what a person is looking for in the dating world. 

Most poly apps are available on iOS and Android devices. Alternatively, many apps can be operated on a web browser, which is great if you’re using a laptop or desktop computer. I’ll walk you through some of the most popular poly apps available to help you determine the best one for you.

Sister Wives

Other noteworthy features: The app is designed for members 17 and up, making it a little more accessible to young adults. Unlike other dating apps, Sister Wives focuses on poly relationships, helping you filter out incompatible matches right from the start. Moreover, our experts weed out fake profiles, ensuring you don’t encounter any scammers or suspicious individuals in our database. In other words, the Sister Wives app does much of the work for you so you have a better chance of meeting the right person or people sooner.

Feeld

Other noteworthy features: If you’re searching for love as a couple or a poly family, Feeld allows you to connect your profile with another person. This means you and your partner can chat with another person at the same time so you don’t have to log in and out of the same account multiple times a day on different devices. Additionally, Feeld’s Majestic membership offers features like sharing exclusive photos in your circle and getting notifications about who tagged you in the app. Feeld welcomes people of all genders and sexual identities--making each user feel safe while on the app.

OkCupid

Other noteworthy features: When signing up on either the website or app version of OkCupid, it’s straightforward. The matchmaking service gives you the option between non-monogamous, monogamous, or either relationship type right away. You can also specify between long-term relationships, short-term relationships, friends-only connections, or one-time meets. Their gender preferences are inclusive and create an accepting community for both monogamous and non-monogamous relationships.

Ashley Madison

Other noteworthy features: Ashley Madison’s been mired in controversies over the years, though the service has revamped its image as an empowering app. With more than 65 million global users, the appeal is straightforward: you are very likely to match with someone in your area. If short-term flings or hookups are something you’re after, Ashley Madison might be best. This poly dating app offers a premium membership that gives you access to unlimited messaging--a plus no matter what type of poly relationship you’re after. Keep in mind though that the users here typically aren’t seeking long-term, committed poly connections, so take this app with a grain of salt.

#OPEN

Other noteworthy features: This poly dating app doesn’t limit your matches and searches to a specified mile radius. Instead, you can connect and chat with any user (or any couple) from anywhere. It emphasizes ethical non-monogamy, though it allows you to search for almost any tag including relationship anarchy to a specific kink. If you don’t identify with any of the existing tags, the app allows you to create your own tag to help you refine your search and match with people who want the same thing. With over 50,000 Android phone members already on top of iPhone folks, matching with others seems easy. Like the Feeld app, you can chat as a single or a couple.

Other factors to consider when trying polygamy dating apps

Additional charges: While most apps are free to download and use, there may be an additional price for select features. In app-purchases include monthly or yearly subscriptions, more extensive privacy settings, advanced communication tools, and even unrestricted messaging. Note that in-app purchases range anywhere from $1.99 up to $70.00 in some cases, with auto-renewal charges a common practice.

Operating systems: Like other smartphone apps, poly dating apps roll out upgrades frequently to better serve their users. This might mean you have to update your operating system as well, whether you’re an Android or Apple owner.

Language availability: Some apps provide language support in over 20 languages, while others provide support in English or another majority language only. This factor might be an important one to consider depending on your location and native tongue.

The founders: Some apps are transparent with their founders and their histories. For many others like myself, this provides not just an element of relatability, but a confidence in people who have access to their personal information.

What’s the bottom line? No app may be perfect in every way, but it’s worth trying out multiple ones to see what features you do and don’t enjoy. You might find that profile sharing for couples is a more important feature to you than unlimited messaging, for instance. If you have experience with any of the apps above besides Sister Wives, let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear your input.

Published By: Christopher Alesich 

Matchmakers Inc: Sisterwives.com

A few weeks ago, we posted an article on Millennials and Poly Dating Sites. Millennials have always been considered the most open-minded generation. That is, until their younger siblings came of age. 

Generation Z covers the years 1997-2012, making them between 9-24 years old. Even though over half of Gen Z are under 18 years old, we still have plenty of research on their opinions and behaviors. 

Does Gen Z Use Dating Apps?

According to a 2018 Global News study, 73.2% of Gen Z use dating apps. While many millennials grew up alongside technology, Gen Z either can’t remember a time before social media existed, or weren’t alive yet. This has normalized online dating and dating apps, whereas previous generations may have felt awkward or uncomfortable doing so.

In 2020, Tinder surveyed 3,453 Gen Z users. Of that number, one fifth said they would explore polyamory. It also found that 71% feel that online platforms have allowed them to connect with others, and three quarters said dating apps help them to get to know themselves better.

In our opinion, these numbers will only continue to grow as Gen Z ages. This is partially because some people with less open-minded, Baby Boomer parents may not feel comfortable exploring new options until they’re not living at home. 

However, a huge contributing factor is how technology and popular culture have made information on polygamy and polyamory more accessible than ever. Let’s take a look at how poly dating is portrayed in the media and on social media.

How Gen Z Learns About Poly Dating

Like their older millennial siblings, Gen Z-ers were probably first exposed to poly lifestyles through television. Before the Sister Wives TV show, there were shows like MTV’s True Life, which featured an episode on polyamory in 2009. 

Today, they can further their observations by following social media influencers who are poly. There’s a wide variety of polyamorous, polygamous, and otherwise non-monogamous bloggers, YouTubers, Instagrammers, and TikTokkers. Some influencers and celebrities have even gone through the process of exploring, then coming out as poly or non-monogamous while sharing their journey with their audience in real-time.

What this has done is further normalize the poly lifestyle as a whole. We can see this by observing an app like TikTok, where Gen Z (it’s biggest audience) can stumble upon a poly person’s videos without specifically searching for poly related videos. Sometimes, the video isn’t even about polyamory or anything, but the creator happens to live a poly lifestyle openly and frequently posts videos answering their audience’s questions. 

While reality shows like Sister Wives have given our community exposure, there’s an added layer of relatability when it comes to influencers versus reality TV stars. This may be a result of some reality TV shows seeming produced, or just the fact that they’re on TV makes them less “real” in our minds sometimes. 

Additionally, a poly influencer’s content usually isn’t defined solely by their lifestyle. Obviously, we know that being poly isn’t the sole defining factor about ourselves, but this is something often overlooked by other people. Many people hear poly - especially polygamy - and expect you to look and act a certain way, or at least for your whole personality to be based on this one aspect about yourself.

So by learning about poly lifestyles through someone they trust, but whose content focuses on other things, it shows Gen Z-ers that being poly is, well, pretty normal. By not making their poly lifestyle the main focus of their content, they show their young viewers that it’s not something that’s always going to be a spectacle to everyone. 

However, there are some people who post content that does focus heavily on their poly lifestyle, which has its own benefits. These are the influencers who people that think they might be poly go to get some more information or just observe their dynamic. 

Gen Z has a unique opportunity to learn about poly people and families from a variety of different perspectives. And, they can do so comfortably and at their own pace without having to actually interact with the people they’re observing.

Will More of Gen Z be Poly Than Previous Generations?

With all of the above being said, it’s important to note that increased exposure and normalization of poly dating doesn’t equate to more people being poly when they’re older. While we have seen an uptick in consensual non-monogamy in Millennials and older Gen Z-ers, a lot of people also choose to not label themselves, which is perfectly fine. 

The reason we’re writing this article isn’t to hypothesize that there will be more polyamorous or polygamous relationships in the future. Instead, we simply think it shows that more people will be open to the idea of it for themselves as well as for others. 

What we think (and hope) the information here shows is a continued increase in not only acceptance, but support for the poly community. Knowing that Gen Z is open-minded like Millennials but more outspoken activists on causes they believe in, we can’t help but have faith that this generation will help bring progress to our community. 

How the Sister Wives Dating Website is a Resource

We hope this and all our articles are a resource to people of all ages and generations who are exploring polygamy. The key to understanding is through connection, something we are passionate about here. 

That’s why it’s free to access several resources on our website, including articles, our member blogs, user forums and more. Our members have shared our real experiences and perspectives in the hopes that someone else can learn from it. 

We encourage everyone interested in poly lifestyles to read up on these, even if they’re just intrigued by the topic, and look forward to seeing what progress Generation Z brings to the poly community in the future!

Published By: Christopher Alesich 

Matchmakers Inc: Sisterwives.com