Boundaries, Agreements, Expectations & Support

When defining a relationship, trying to resolve conflict, or introducing new pals and metas into your polycule, you have four modes of actions for healthy interactions. Your options are: setting a boundary, coming to an agreement, clarifying an expectation, or asking for support. These four options form the BAES framework.

Check out our BAES WORKBOOK to deepen your understanding!

Boundaries

Boundaries are guidelines for how you interact with yourself and others. They focus on your needs, actions, and preferences 

“I will...” 

Agreements

Agreements are when two or more people decide to establish boundaries together. They can be the same or be unique to the individual given the context. 

“We will...” 

Expectations

Expectations are requests that you make of your pals. They can be requests to set boundaries, for behavior changes, or to uphold certain values. 

“Can you...”

Support

Support is the tangible requests you make of your pals. We can’t face our problems alone. We need pals to provide reassurance, motivation, or tap into our love language.  

“I need help with...”

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