Committed relationships and romantic relationships are usually portrayed as between one partner and a man and a woman. Well, those days are over! Welcome to the world of non monogamous relationship structures, where people find mutual respect, ways to talk openly and embrace poly relationships where everyone is on equal footing.
If this strong communication style sounds like your ideal relationship, then you’re in the right place! We’re going to look at everything from the online communities to meet people looking for poly relationships to how to divide household tasks between three partners.
Let’s break down how people live in fully committed relationships with more than one partner as we explore a new relationship structure: the throuple, or three person relationship!
How Does a Throuple Work?
So what is a throuple, and how does a throuple work? How is it different from a polyamorous relationship and other relationship styles? Let’s take a look!
In short, a throuple is a three person relationship. That’s all a throuple is! Some polyamorous relationships have more than three people, so that’s the biggest difference between other romantic relationships and throuples.
A throuple is a form of consensually non monogamous relationship, and much like two person relationships, non monogamous relationships can have a female partner, male partner, or non binary partners. Being non monogamous or in three way relationships is not a sexuality and does not correlate to sexuality.
Let’s explore some of the biggest curiosities people in mono relationships have about three way relationships.
Sleeping Arrangements
Anyone in a monogamous relationship seems to fixate on the sleeping arrangements of throuples and non monogamous relationships in general, which is a bit weird, to be honest.
However, it’s pretty easy to answer. There are no “norms”, so to speak. In a throuple, it is entirely up to the members of the throuple as to how and where they sleep. Some throuples rotate the sleeping situation, some sleep altogether as a throuple, and others all sleep separately in three bedrooms.
Much like in other relationships, the sleeping and living arrangements of a throuple are only really the business of the people in the throuple.
Clear Boundaries
Regular check ins, creating a safe space and respecting the sense that every person involved is their own person and what works for one partner might not work for another are all important points in a throuple.
The three people in the throuple will deal with situations unique to those three people, which means they need to have constant communication with each other and a sense of trust to talk and discuss any issues freely.
Even people practising non monogamy feel jealousy, and without proper communication, it can lead to issues. It’s important to set clear boundaries from the point you start using the term throuple and talk through all feelings. Of course, issues like sexual desires, date nights, previous experiences, alone time, and life in general are also important to discuss with all partners.
Some people who consider themselves to be solo poly won’t live with their partners, which can also be tricky with jealousy and how people feel. When two people live together, those two people can make the third person feel a sense of being left out without meaning to, which can be really hard to discuss for throuples.
Emotional Support
Emotional support is vital in any relationship, but when it’s with three people and not just you and one other person, it can be hard to manage.
Communication is obviously the thing that leads most aspects of the relationship, as if two people feel strongly about something, and the third person feels left out, it can feel tense. Finding ways communication can work between everyone to manage jealousy or even dealing with how things progressed in a relationship with three people, having the right support in place for everyone to feel their own feelings is vital.
Another hard thing to manage in a throuple is when one person joins two people in an established relationship. Everything from sex, feelings, and communication can change overnight for the established relationship, whilst the new person might feel left out of the throuple, or the established partner might feel the original relationship has changed.
Finding ways to work through this and keep all parts of the relationship strong can feel hard, but when you learn to handle it, the throuple relationship will thrive!
Jealousy
It’s a common myth that throuples feel no jealousy! However, jealousy is handled with clear discussions, boundaries, and ways to move forward effectively. People often choose to acknowledge and sit with the feelings of jealousy, as well as spend time chatting about them with the other members of the relationship.
The only way to move forward and keep the relationship healthy is by being entirely open and honest about the how and why behind everyone’s feelings.
What is a Closed Triad?
A closed triad relationship or closed throuple is non monogamy where the three people in the relationship are exclusive to those people. The three people in the throuple will only have date nights, sex, and share romantic life with those partners and nobody else.
As marriage is legally only between two people, many feel a closed triad or throuple is the poly equivalent of marriage.
Throuple vs Open Relationships
So a throuple is an exclusive relationship between three people, whereas an open relationship is where people can have sex or sexual experiences with people that do not involve their primary partner.
In a throuple, there are four relationships: each pair and then the three people together. A throuple will often have sexual relationships as a trio and will explore sex in different combinations, whereas an open relationship involves having romantic feelings and sex with people without involving your partner at all.
Many relationships that are opened are so people can have sex with new partners, whereas a relationship that is poly is for an emotional connection as well as a sexual one.
Start a Healthy Relationship with Taimi
If you’re done with two person relationships and want to explore the throuple relationship of your dreams, try Taimi! Whether you’re looking for your third person, new to ethical non monogamy, or looking to join a healthy relationship as a third person, you’ll find the one, no matter your relationship style!
Taimi is a healthy relationship hub just waiting for you to find intimate relationships with anyone, from a bisexual woman to two partners of different sexual orientations. Not everyone was made for a monogamous relationship, so try an open relationship today!
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