Sugar Daddy Dating: Exclusive vs Non-Exclusive

You may be experienced in the world of sugar dating, or brand new. But there’s a common question for people of all experience levels: should you be exclusive or non-exclusive?

In this article, we’ll talk about the pros and cons of each, and how you can set up your sugar lifestyle to align with your personal preferences!

What is exclusivity versus non-exclusivity in sugar dating?

When talking about sugar dating, the traditional rules of romance don’t always apply. So, you may wonder what exclusivity means in The Bowl. Well, there are a few different ways to think about it:

• Completely exclusive. This means that both you and your sugar partner are completely uninvolved with other people, either in terms of romantic or sugar entanglements.
• Sugar exclusive. In many sugar relationships, one or both partners will have a traditional partner outside of the Bowl. This may look like a sugar daddy who has a wife or a sugar baby who continues to date romantically. But, neither sugar daddy nor baby is seeing other people in the sugaring community.
• Non-exclusive. Non-exclusivity in the sugaring world means that one or both partners is free to pursue other relationships. You’ve probably heard other names for this kind of set-up, including no-strings-attached, non-monogamy, open relationships, or polyamory. These terms do have subtle differences between them, but they all revolve around the fact that exclusivity is not part of the equation.

Something important to keep in mind is that there is no right or wrong way to think about exclusivity. As long as both partners are conscious and in agreement about the terms of their relationship, there’s no rule book that they need to follow in order to be happy.

Pros and cons of an exclusive sugar relationship

Thinking about entering into an exclusive sugar relationship? Here are a few considerations to keep in mind:

Pros

• A sugar daddy’s resources won’t be split between multiple babies
• Fewer scheduling conflicts
• Each partner can better keep track of the likes and dislikes of their sugar daddy or baby
• Can promote comfort and familiarity
• Build trust and emotional intimacy over time

Cons

• Each partner will need to think of ways to keep the sugar relationship exciting and new
• Maybe be harder to end an established exclusive relationship
• May encourage emotional intimacy that a sugar baby or daddy would rather not have as part of the relationship

As you can see, these potential pros and cons of an exclusive relationship are generalized—and some are subjective! Emotional intimacy, for example, will be appealing to one person in the sugaring community and a dealbreaker for others. And there’s no guarantee that an exclusive sugar relationship will have emotional intimacy. Still, it can be helpful to think about certain risks and potential benefits that this type of partnership encourages.

Pros and cons of a non-exclusive sugar relationship

Now, what about non-exclusivity in your sugar relationships? Here are a few pros and cons to be aware of with this style of dating:

Pros

• Allows each partner to fully explore their preferences and desires
• May take pressure off of each partner to fulfill all of the fantasies of their sugar daddy or sugar baby
• Ensures that each partner is actively choosing to be in the relationship instead of “settling”

Cons

• More partners may require more time, effort, organization and resources
• Can sometimes promote a feeling of competition or jealousy if one partner is not emotionally equipped to handle the arrangement

There’s no doubt that non-exclusivity is not necessarily the easier or less complicated sugaring dynamic. In order to pursue this type of relationship, the pros must be more valuable to you than the potential cons.

Myths about exclusive and non-exclusive sugar relationships

Before we talk about how you can create the ideal sugar relationship for you, let’s clear up a few myths about exclusivity versus non-exclusivity:

Myth one: Non-exclusive relationships are not as serious

It’s not accurate to think that someone in a non-exclusive sugar relationship is not capable of commitment, clear communication, and empathic decision-making. In reality, a non-exclusive sugar relationship can be just as “real” or “serious” as any other.

Myth two: Making a relationship exclusive will help with a partner’s jealousy

Maybe you’ve been seeing a sugar partner for a while and they suggest you become exclusive because they are wildly jealous about you seeing other people. While it can be a good choice to change the dynamics of the relationship for other reasons, keep in mind that jealousy problems are not likely to disappear just because you’ve changed the terms. Instead, jealousy is something that must be dealt with by the person experiencing those emotions.

Myth three: Exclusive relationships are more likely to last than non-exclusive relationships

This is simply not true. Whether you’re in an exclusive or non-exclusive sugar partnership, the length of your relationship will be determined by compatibility and communication.

Myth four: Cheating can’t happen in a non-exclusive sugar relationship

This is one of the most pervasive myths about exclusive versus non-exclusive sugar relationships. But the fact is, cheating can happen in non-exclusive relationships. It all depends on the specific terms of the relationship. A sugar partner who agreed to see only other people in the Bowl, for instance, would be cheating were they to start dating romantically. Likewise, partners may have stipulations about how many additional partners are allowed in the relationship, and when they see them. Any instances in which these agreements are not met would be a breach of trust.

How to create the kind of sugar relationship you want

At this point, you hopefully have a clearer idea of whether you want your sugar relationship to be exclusive or non-exclusive (or maybe you need more time to think it over, which is okay, too!) When you are ready to start dating then, how can you create the right relationship for you? Here are a few tips:

• Put your keywords in your sugar dating profile. Your sugar baby bio is the perfect place for you to state whether you want an exclusive or non-exclusive relationship. Not only will it save you the time of having to explain it in your DMs, but it could also help sugar dating algorithms connect you with better matches!
• Make your preferences clear before your first meet & greet. Even if you’ve stated your preferences in your bio, it’s always a good idea to reiterate them with a potential partner before meeting in person.
• Be very clear and open about the terms you’re comfortable with. As we mentioned earlier, two people can have very different ideas about what non-exclusivity means to them. So, take the time to talk about any rules that would make you feel more comfortable. Would you prefer that the two of you avoid seeing people who live in the same area? Do you expect them to continue scheduling a certain number of dates with you per month even if they’re dating more than one sugar partner?
• Have a plan in case your agreement is broken. As is sometimes the case in romantic and sugar relationships, a partner may break the terms you’ve agreed to. Will you give them a second chance? Are you open to changing the agreement? Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to be non-exclusive, but it is important to have certain guidelines in place to protect yourself.

You’re ready to put a label on your sugar relationships!

No matter whether you’re more comfortable with exclusive or non-exclusive relationships, be confident in stating your preferences to any new partners! Remember, sugaring is all about creating a relationship that works for you, so don’t feel bad about whether you consider yourself more of an exclusive or non-exclusive partner! You’ll find a match who shares your preference!