Season 5 Episode 10: Polyamory and Parenting (Part 2)

Jun 9, 2022

In this engaging discussion, Jim Miles, an engineer and devoted dad of five, and Shanon Murray, a parenting coach with training in art therapy, share their experiences as polyamorous parents. They dive into the challenges and joys of raising children in a poly household, including the significance of open communication and transparency. Hear their humorous anecdotes about coming out to their kids, balancing non-monogamous relationships with parenting duties, and the benefits of community support in creating diverse family structures. Their insights are a goldmine for any modern parent!

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ANECDOTE

Planned Campfire Coming-Out

Shanon made coming out a group event with partners present.
The kids were largely unbothered because partners already visited home.

ANECDOTE

Kids Treated It Like No Big Deal

Kids reacted practically; one asked, "Can I have another hamburger".
Most treated partners as ordinary adults since they'd already met them.

ADVICE

Prepare Kids To Share Or Not

Shanon: children don't keep secrets, so prepare them for disclosure.
Give age‑appropriate language and let them choose to share or not.

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"Sometimes a particular adult's involvement ebbs and flows but there isn't the kind of sudden disappearance or 'revolving door' that serial monogamists imagine with polyamorous dating because we've built a lot of community."

"We were really anxious about coming out to the kids, and did, and asked if they had questions, and one of them, very in character for him, said 'Yes - can I have another hamburger?'"

In today's episode, Laura sits down with her friends Jim Miles and Shanon Murray to talk about what it's like being the polyamorous parents of five kids between the ages of 2 and 19. They share the story of coming out to their 4 older children, what various family reception of this information was like, and advice for other polyamorous parents of tweens and teens in talking about nonmonogamous relationships with their kids.

Jim is an engineer with a large media company; Shanon is a parenting coach with professional training in art therapy and marriage and family therapy; they live in Southern CT with their 5 children and maintain an extended polycule of partners and chosen family locally.

Shanon Murray is a parenting coach in Stratford CT, helping families reach their full potential utilizing art along with other techniques and strategies. She is a nationally certified art therapist, and holds a certification as an early childhood educator in Montessori education. She is accepting new clients, and is happy to work with families virtually or in person. She can be reached by phone: 914-388-7343 email shanon.murray@yahoo.com
Or though her Facebook page:

https://m.facebook.com/329129277228489/

You can find some of Laura's Polyamorous Parenting FAQs on the blog here.

As always, the podcast's music is by Vince Conaway who you can find at www.vinceconaway.com.

You can find the blog at www.readyforpolyamory.com; the book on Amazon in kindle and paperback here; the audiobook can be found here; links to first appointments for peer support with Laura here; and we'll be back at the end of the summer with Season 6.