I was just curious, how often do you like to meet up with someone to get to know them before actually cuddling (for non-paid cuddlers)?
If I trust the person and get along well with them, once is usually enough for me, though I think 1-3 times is a good rule of thumb. It seems like people vary a lot... some people are down to cuddle immediately (like as soon as we meet), while others seem to take weeks or months of regular meeting to build that sense of trust.
It does seem like for a lot of people, cuddling after only meeting once or twice can feel a bit vulnerable and like they are letting down their boundaries too quickly. But I also wonder if that's partly because they aren't used to it? I think when platonic cuddling is more of a normalised part of life, it doesn't feel quite so vulnerable or intensely intimate.
It's tricky because I don't always have the time to get to know someone for weeks or months before cuddling them, but I also don't want to be pushy or make anyone uncomfortable. Most people I meet don't have any previous experience with platonic cuddling and I sense that makes them a bit wary or hesitant.