Kitchen-table polyamory

A polycule is a network of connected polyamorous relationships. It may include partners and their other partners, without everyone dating everyone else. The word describes connections rather than a fixed group size, shared home or agreed hierarchy. Each adult’s involvement and boundaries still need to be understood individually. A simple network might include one person with two partners who are not romantically involved with each other. Larger networks can have several overlapping connections. A diagram can help explain who is connected, but it should not disclose someone’s identity or private relationship without permission. Being part of the same polycule does not automatically create friendship, sexual contact, shared finances or responsibility for every member. Ask which information needs to be shared and who wants social contact. People may join, leave or change a connection; the network label never removes their individual choice.

Soft swap and full swap are informal swinging terms for different agreed limits on sexual contact with other adults. Soft swap commonly excludes penetrative intercourse with outside partners; full swap may include it. Neither label is a complete agreement, and people use the words differently, so ask what is meant. These descriptions are vocabulary, not instructions or stages someone must progress through. Soft does not mean risk-free, and full does not mean consent to everything. Each adult decides independently whether they want any contact, with whom and under what conditions. A couple’s agreement cannot decide on behalf of another person. Discuss boundaries in plain language before making assumptions, including privacy and relevant sexual-health information. Anyone can pause, decline or change their mind. Attendance at a venue, a previous experience or a profile label does not replace present consent. The related swinging guide explains agreements and etiquette without explicit sexual instructions.

Solo polyamory describes an approach to consensual multiple relationships that prioritises personal autonomy rather than assuming a central couple, shared home or merged finances. A person may have committed relationships while keeping substantial independence. Solo does not mean lonely, uncommitted or available whenever someone else wants contact. The label can help explain that conventional milestones, such as moving in together, are not an automatic goal. It does not specify exactly what someone wants now or what they may choose later. Ask about time, emotional support, privacy and practical commitments rather than assuming the word settles those questions. Being single and being solo polyamorous are different descriptions: one concerns current relationship status, while the other describes an approach. Independence still leaves room for reliability and care. If you make an agreement, explain changes and consider people who rely on it; autonomy is not a reason to mislead a partner.