Passion Play

Topic: When's the right time for play time?

Posted by: Aly Walansky

I recently had the exciting assignment, as part of my SheKnows.com column, to do a series of short video tutorials on adult toy store navigation and choosing your first sex toy.

The research for this project has been fascinating, and it opened up a host of questions that I'd love to throw out to all of you. We know toys are a fun option, whether single, or in a relationship - toys can spice up even the spiciest of relationships, but can they be the saving grace for when there is no spice at all?

I'm sure a lot of us remember the movie "The O in Ohio" with Parker Posey and Paul Rudd. For those who don't, Parker Posey's character being unable (ever) to orgasm with her husband ... but finding her ultimate 'sweet spot' with her first vibrator. This ultimately leads to the devastation of her relationship, and by the end of the movie, she discovers she CAN have good sex with a man, just not with the one she had been with, and finds her ideal mate (Danny DeVito).

It's true that toys can help to break down boundaries, whether for pre-orgasmic women, or for couples in a rut, or just for those who want to have more fun. But the issue may be how to introduce toys into your life - or your relationship. Is it something to experiment with solo, or to broach together? And does the possibility exist that opening that Pandora's Box (...or toy chest) with your mate can end up creating more distance than intimacy?

Would love to hear some of your thoughts and experiences.