Poly Agony: The Mistakes, Repair, and Reality of Raising Kids While Open with Ca
Episode :
146

Poly Agony: The Mistakes, Repair, and Reality of Raising Kids While Open with Ca

February 19, 2026

Non-monogamy isn’t just more love. It’s more feelings, more conversations, and sometimes… a lot more processing. In this episode, I’m sitting down with Candace Sogren, lawyer, former CEO, emotional intelligence facilitator, mom, and author of Poly Agony. She’s been ethically non-monogamous for over 20 years, raising a child in community, building non-traditional family structures, and living this life fully out loud. And we’re not talking about the cute, version of polyamory. We’re talking about the mistakes. The broken agreements. The repair conversations. The parenting realities. And what it actually takes to make this sustainable. We get into: ? The most common mistakes couples make when opening ? Why repair matters more than perfection ? Raising kids in open relationships without shame ? Transparency vs. disclosure (especially with children) ? Introducing partners in healthy, grounded ways ? The emotional labor of loving more than one person Candace also shares a powerful story about advocating for non-traditional families after being denied custody of children because of her polyamorous identity. This episode is for you if you’re opening a relationship, parenting while poly, or just trying to build something that actually fits your heart.