Hello,
For context we opened our relationship over a year ago. Not in a rush of anything and taking things slowly so we learn at our own pace.
While I had 2 one off dates and a long distance relationship, my husband has had no success. I suspect there are two reasons: it’s more difficult for a partnered man to find another woman willing to date. He has put way less time and effort in dating.
For the past 4 months I’ve been in a new relationship, closer to home, and it’s going well. We meet 2 to 3 times a month. Sometimes overnight, sometimes for an evening at the theatre, it depends. These dates are planned around our lives, so it’s smooth and not disruptive.
Seeing that it’s going well, my husband told me he’s feeling envious of my current relationship and is feeling left out / not involved.
While I understand those feelings can happen and are normal, what I can’t understand is that he’s been feeling this way for the past 1.5 month to the point he’s moody nearly everyday. For instance I’m meeting my date in two weeks and he’s already started to feel moody about it.
In the past he has expressed wanting to try a threesome and I’m happy to try too when we find the right person and the energy is there. But it’s unlikely to happen with my current relationship. Which we talked about, is something he was hoping for but knew from the beginning it was unlikely to happen. I say unlikely because we know that circumstances and people can change. Opening up our relationship was to first experience on our own and explore our attraction to people as well as different forms of intimacy (building up to poly rather than open).
So I guess there’s a bit of that, and having had no success in online dating. Overall disappointment perhaps? I said he needed to be patient and focus on his online dating.
Besides that, we make sure to spend quality time together, we plan lunches, we talk about his feelings (when I see him moody, I’m initiating the talk to understand what is going on), I express my love and commitment to him, I’m sharing articles/books, supporting him in updating his online dating profile, and trying other avenues, etc. I’m trying different things to lift him up because I’m having difficulties pinpointing the core of the issue. Is it jealousy, envy, insecurity?
Not sure what else we can do or if it just needs more time? It feels like I’m getting the benefits of a polyamorous lifestyle and he’s being left behind. I’d like him to put more effort into it rather than being moody and complaining
For context we opened our relationship over a year ago. Not in a rush of anything and taking things slowly so we learn at our own pace.
While I had 2 one off dates and a long distance relationship, my husband has had no success. I suspect there are two reasons: it’s more difficult for a partnered man to find another woman willing to date. He has put way less time and effort in dating.
For the past 4 months I’ve been in a new relationship, closer to home, and it’s going well. We meet 2 to 3 times a month. Sometimes overnight, sometimes for an evening at the theatre, it depends. These dates are planned around our lives, so it’s smooth and not disruptive.
Seeing that it’s going well, my husband told me he’s feeling envious of my current relationship and is feeling left out / not involved.
While I understand those feelings can happen and are normal, what I can’t understand is that he’s been feeling this way for the past 1.5 month to the point he’s moody nearly everyday. For instance I’m meeting my date in two weeks and he’s already started to feel moody about it.
In the past he has expressed wanting to try a threesome and I’m happy to try too when we find the right person and the energy is there. But it’s unlikely to happen with my current relationship. Which we talked about, is something he was hoping for but knew from the beginning it was unlikely to happen. I say unlikely because we know that circumstances and people can change. Opening up our relationship was to first experience on our own and explore our attraction to people as well as different forms of intimacy (building up to poly rather than open).
So I guess there’s a bit of that, and having had no success in online dating. Overall disappointment perhaps? I said he needed to be patient and focus on his online dating.
Besides that, we make sure to spend quality time together, we plan lunches, we talk about his feelings (when I see him moody, I’m initiating the talk to understand what is going on), I express my love and commitment to him, I’m sharing articles/books, supporting him in updating his online dating profile, and trying other avenues, etc. I’m trying different things to lift him up because I’m having difficulties pinpointing the core of the issue. Is it jealousy, envy, insecurity?
Not sure what else we can do or if it just needs more time? It feels like I’m getting the benefits of a polyamorous lifestyle and he’s being left behind. I’d like him to put more effort into it rather than being moody and complaining
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