What type environment does a host provide? Besides cleanliness and furniture, pillows, blankets…how do parents handle hosting in home? Is cuddling in your bedroom common? My couch looks cool but it’s hard as a rock, lol (blame ikea).
Aesthetics.. music, tv, candles.. aromatherapy? Whatever may interest the other cuddler, maybe ask if they have any preferences to help them to relax and enjoy the full experience!
@lucybug1985 - Candles sounds too romantic for a platonic session IMO.
Just a place you both can be comfortable with clean sheets/blankets is sufficient.
I doubt parents will agree to that.
I have had numerous pros who burned candles, some incense and other things. Only weird if you make it weird.
Candles are a good soft light it doesn't imply anything romantic unless you make it that way
I personally wouldn’t want candles burning, because of allergies. If you have children, make sure all toys are out of walking pathways. 🤣 For extra safety you could take pics of children down, and close off the children’s bedrooms. I personally wouldn’t just let anybody in my home. I would need to know them a bit, and feel safe with them coming to my home. And cuddle wherever is comfortable.
I had a bad experience with candles One time. there was a smoke alarm involved drapes caught on 🔥 fire department was called. It was like a movie scene from Backdraft. Definitely wasn’t one of my best cuddle experiences. Lol 😂
I have a candle I burn prior to hosting as I air out the rooms mainly because I want my hosting space to be fresh/clean.
Candles are a very good idea if you live where if there's thunderstorms you'll lose power, at least for a while!! They aren't romantic in that kind of situation, they're a necessity!!!
BTW - the giant ones with 3 wicks will burn forever!!!
@Motorbaby - Seems like a fire hazard as @lonelytauros pointed out. Battery operated emergency lights are a thing.
My cat would knock over a candle.
Candles, safety, got it.
My last cuddle the pro brought battery operated candles. They were about 2 inches tall. She had like 15 of them and just spread them around the room. I thought they provided a neat atmosphere. She said she got them from Amazon.
I have a galaxy projector and I do not regret the purchase.
I'm a robot
Candles are nice, but the scented ones are expensive and don't fill up a room with a nice fragrance quite like the Gonesh incense sticks do. I like to use the Lavender incense sticks, after I've spritzed the room with Lavender Febreeze. It smells very nice when I host.
And I occasionally have a Lavender plant n the house because I've heard they repel scorpions.
@Charlie_Bear Galaxy projectors nicely compliment any opening scene from Star Wars.
...which makes for a totally immersive cuddle experience (to keep this on topic).
For anyone considering scents, I recommend discussing with your cuddle partner first. Fragrance sensitivities and allergies are quite common - not just to perfumes/colognes, but also things like scented oils, incense, and yes Febreze (both the added fragrance and the active ingredient) 🙂 Stuffy noses, itching, hives, and breathing problems don't make for very relaxing cuddles 😅
I do a scented candle (if the other person is ok with it), battery powered candles, a "starry night" projector, music, bottled water, fresh linens and fluffy pillows. Full lights are very distracting, full dark is when I fall asleep. Lolol
@Shelley_Nicole WELCOME TO THE SITE!!
As a PRO you might have different things that you offer but I doubt that the "expectations" are consistent. You will probably, over time, find out the things that make you the most comfortable and I would imagine have a lot of variety as each client would be different.
I like having options.... even if I'm not hosting in my home. (Although, since I'm an enthusiast I don't carry the same burden of being the paid provider.) Each person I meet is a little different and getting to know them ahead of time gives me a sense of who they are. If I know someone is much colder than I am, I might get out an extra fluffy blanket.
I am a twinkle light girl myself. I agree with the comments about candles..... I love them but they can be tricky with allergies and even though we are all trying to be honest about our emotions and our boundaries, sometimes simple things can be taken out of context.
I love having music in the background because music is MY jam. Having a lot of different playlists is convenient.
@Charlie_Bear I agree the projector idea is super cool. There is a beautiful PRO whom I adore and she had a very small kodak projector that can bluetooth with your phone or laptop and you can have it scroll through pictures etc. on a bare wall. This created a fabulous scenario. Not a movie necessarily but images of waterfalls, nature scenes, peaceful sunsets etc.
In all of the forum posts about this topic, one other thing I didn't realize was providing an unopened drink like water or juice etc. It seems like there a lot of people who might be coming to you for cuddles that have been some touch trauma and creating a safe environment (for BOTH OF YOU)
I would imagine posting this question in the pro forum might give you some really good feedback from Pro's who are in a similar position as well.
Congratulations and as always.... May the Cuddle Gods be EVER in your favor!!! 😊
@Shelley_Nicole, Welcome to the world of consensual. platonic cuddling
Ask the client/parents their expectations, concerns, and tailor the session to the client as best as possible.
If you feel comfortable cuddling the client in their bedroom with the door shut, I would undoubtedly communicate this.
Be yourself, and remember to communicate your boundaries in a friendly, positive manner and enjoy. If I can assist and support you, please message me.
I agree with @cuddlefaery to check with your cuddle partner before using scents.
Example: @TxTom mentions using lavender. My roommate is allergic to lavender so for me, I can't use lavender anything which has made me be very conscious of what I use and ask people about allergies if I think there will be an issue.
I find it hard to believe that as a species we are becoming more and more adverse/sensitive to more and more various external stimuli.
Nevertheless, taking into consideration the discussion at hand and @LadyVel 's remarks, I've added a disclaimer to my profile listing various things present in my home. Hopefully, this will help a potential cuddle partner decide on if I am a suitable host.
However, I am very happy to report that, to date, none of my guests have ever raised any concerns about anything in my home.
Hi @Shelley_Nicole! Great questions to ask...it always helps to share info
I'm a parent and decided not to host at my house. In the future, I think that my little sitting room, immediately when you walk inside, could be a great place. Nobody is walking through the house or living space, and my kiddos don't even really have to be out of sight....since it's tucked into the very front. ☺️ Also easy to keep clean and tidy and can accommodate cuddle worthy furniture without being to tight. LOL Plus, it's my plant room currently....so somewhat calming with the greenery (without being obnoxious). And yeah, I would imagine I'd clean any sheets or blankets after any sessions.
As for candles or scents, others just said maybe discuss with your cuddle partner. I am allergic to most scents that are synthetic and even non synthetic if it's anything besides food scents (says a lot about me LOL). So no lavender even But I ALWAYS greatly appreciate when others respect that! More than I can convey. Twinkle lights are a good idea and you could do really small and dim-ish ones. That's cute!
Good luck here 💗💗💗
I love how most of this is focused on the ethical, and social implications candles bring to a cuddle space. And potential destructive properties. 😂😂😂😂
@TxTom heres your fight, lol. Downey and other detergents have put me in the ER 2x. When I walk down the laundry aisle at the grocery store I smell death. 😂😂😂😂
@stormydaycuddle I'm not wanting to fight over detergent, or anything anyone is allergic to.
But I do have a question about what @Mike403 said,
Candles sounds too romantic for a platonic session... Just a place you both can be comfortable with clean sheets/blankets...
Candles are too romantic, but bed sheets are not?
@TxTom - Easier to wash sheets than the mattress.
Well, I just make sure my house is comfortable, cleaned and picked up for any kind of company that's coming to the house. I even clean up for days that my mother visits, unless it's a surprise visit from her. 😉
As a parent, I basically make sure that my son is never around during cuddle time, which is a good thing. However if he has to be there (which hasn't been the case yet) then he'll either stay in his room or if weather permitting I'll send outside to ride his bike or something for an hour...Yeah, cuddling will be short if my son is around.😏
As a host, I do offer snacks and beverages to be enjoyed while cuddling and I'll ask said cuddle partner what they like to eat. I'll ask about special diets or food allergies to avoid, while grocery shopping for said cuddle session with said cuddle partner. 😊
Because I like scented candles, period!🤨😁 There will always be a scented candle burning, regardless of cuddle time or not in my house. 😌😁
@TxTom - I believe there are a number of reasons why so many people have allergic reactions to so many different substances / scents today. Many are environmental related and others are nutritional / pharmaceutical related. There may be other reasons as well but these are the main ones from what I have studied.
I have 4 HEPA air purifiers in my house (2 upstairs and 2 in the basement) and I only drink filtered water (I keep 2 pitchers in the fridge and I have a filtered Nalgene bottle I take with me every time I leave the house). These water filters remove about 99.9% of everything from pesticides to hormones to heavy metals and micro plastics. I am also very careful about my shampoo, soap and deodorant and only use unscented products with all natural ingredients. I have not worn cologne or aftershave in years.
I believe as a species, mankind is slowly poisoning ourselves to death through what we breathe, ingest and absorb through our skin.
I enjoy the smell of some scented candles (Honey Mandarin is my favorite) but I have noticed some candles cause my air purifier to kick into overdrive (they have a volatile organic compound sensor built into them and will automatically turn to high when they detect VOCs in the air). So I am choosy about what brand of candles I burn. I only host one cuddle partner I know extremely well and we discussed candles prior to her first visit.
@TxTom I don't cuddle in a bed so I have no clue.
My lay out is a really thick gel mat I roll out on the living room floor. I put a blanket over it because people still wear scent despite TOS and the gel mat would pick that up. That and it looks prettier than blue foam. Anyway, no one climbs under the blanket so I'd say no not romantic. Kids have sheets on their beds too so I'm not getting what makes sheets romantic in your mind?