Dinky

Welcome back to another episode in our Regretful Parents series — where we dive deep into stories from the Regretful Parents subreddit. Today’s post comes from a woman who is 7 weeks pregnant, spiraling with anxiety, and realizing she may not actually want a baby — even though her husband does. She’s 35, terrified of change, and suddenly questioning everything. In this episode, we talk about: ✨ F...

This episode’s returning guest is Maggie Dickens, licensed therapist and the host of Unapologetically Childfree. Maggie’s built an incredible space for childfree women who are done holding it all together for everyone else and ready to feel as supported as everyone else. She’s got a mix of therapy smarts, real talk, and a calming energy that makes you want to exhale and finally stop carrying every...

Welcome back our Regretful Parents series! In this episode, Erika and Kristen react to a viral Reddit post from a parent who openly regrets having kids — and his reasons why will make your jaw drop. From religious guilt and peer pressure to capitalism and walkable cities, this conversation breaks down why so many parents are speaking out about regret, exhaustion, and the myth of “the village.” We...

Select Regretful Parents episodes are being uploaded to the podcast feed — to watch the full series, visit Dinky Podcast on our YouTube! Welcome back to our Regretful Parents series, where hosts Erika and Kristen read and react to posts from parents who regret having kids. This episode dives into a Reddit confession titled “4 A.M. Thoughts” — a raw look at the exhaustion, resentment, and grief tha...

Today we’re joined by the hilarious Natasha Vaynblat, a New York–based comedian and writer embracing the childfree life. You’ve seen her work on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon , and her debut stand-up album We’re All Dads Here was named one of Paste’s Best Comedy Albums and featured in Vulture’s “5 Albums to Watch Right Now.” Natasha is also the creator and star of the award-winning digita...

In the spirit of Halloween, Kristen and Erika decided to give you ALL the bonus Halloween content! Enjoy!!! If you don’t immediately recognize her name, you may know the famous nursery rhyme: Lizzie Borden took an axe, she gave her mother 40 whacks; when she saw what she had done, she gave her father 41. Besides her infamy in American crime history, she was also a woman who never had kids. In this...

In the spirit of Halloween, Kristen and Erika decided to give you ALL the bonus Halloween content! Enjoy!!! This past summer, Kristen visited Salem, MA — the city best known for one of the most devastating events of early American history: the Salem Witch Trials. Given some parallels and stereotypes between witches and childfree women (i.e., childless cat ladies), Kristen + Erika wanted to revisit...

For nearly 175 years — from 1563 until its repeal in 1736 — this act stood as part of Scotland’s law. In that time, it is estimated that 3,000 to 5,000 people were accused of witchcraft. Of those, a staggering 84 percent were women. Torture, often in the form of sleep deprivation and relentless interrogation, was routine. Executions followed — frequently by strangulation or burning — and their bod...

It’s October, which means it’s the start of Spooky Season. If you’ve been listening to Dinky for the past three years, you know we always do a Halloween episode – two of which have included our favorite, recurring guest star, Sapphire Sandalo . You might recognize her as a co-host on the Travel Channel TV shows ‘ Ghost Town Terror ’ or from her appearances on ‘Paranormal Caught on Camera.’ She als...

In this episode, Erika and Kristen dive into the complexities of marriage, exploring whether it is truly hard or if it depends on circumstances. They share personal experiences, discuss societal expectations, and analyze YOUR feedback via Instagram Stories. Plus, we touch on the impact of children in marriage and the importance of communication and compatibility. Soft re-launching MERCH! (Shh.) Ge...

Today we are talking through one of our favorite topics: DEATH. Kristen and Erika talk about the importance of making a will, the ins and outs of what happens with your property after you die, and how to make a will today for free. (For legal purposes this is not legal advice. Consult a lawyer for verifiable information.) Timestamps: 2:33 - Dink Yourself 11:46 - Let’s talk about wills 18:36 - Who...

We have something very special for you today — about a month ago, we had bestselling author Andrea Bartz join our Patreon book club for a discussion about her new book, The Last Ferry Out. Andrea was on the show previously on one of our best-performing episodes on childfree representation in the media, so go back and listen to that episode! Our Christmas Markets magic trip in Germany is now open t...

In this follow-up to our first tradwives episode, we dive into the toxic world of the manosphere and the concept of “princess treatment.” From Andrew Tate wannabes to algorithm-fed misogyny, we unpack how these online communities are radicalizing young men, feeding the male loneliness epidemic, and warp ideas about relationships. What you’ll hear in this episode: What the manosphere is, who’s in i...

Before we talk about today’s episode, consider taking a trip with Dinky! We have two amazing trips: A long weekend in Mexico City , and a Christmas Markets adventure in Germany. Is your childfree choice written in the stars? In this episode, we sit down with astrologer Christina Garcia to explore what astrology reveals about the decision not to have children. Christina reads Erika + Kristen’s birt...

What if the very thought of pregnancy or giving birth filled you with terror — not just discomfort or anxiety, but real, paralyzing fear? In this episode, Erika and Kristen explore tokophobia, an often-overlooked condition defined by the Cleveland Clinic as an extreme fear of childbirth. Tokophobia can affect people so severely that they may go to great lengths to avoid pregnancy altogether. For t...

A lot to unpack in this episode! Today we are talking about Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill": what it includes and, most importantly, what's at stake for Americans when it comes to Medicaid, increasing federal debt, AI, and impacts specific to "childless adults." Note: We’re recording this on June 20, 2025 and the Senate won’t even start debating the bill until at least June 22, 2025. So, some details...

Our guest today needs no introduction, as you’ve likely seen her all over your FYP educating the masses on midlife and menopause. Tamsen Fadal is the bestselling author of How To Menopause: Take Charge of Your Health, Reclaim Your Life, and Feel Even Better Than Before , the host of the Tamsen Show Podcast , and the creator, producer, and executive producer of the PBS documentary The M Factor: Shr...

Today we’re revisiting a crowd fave: regretful parents! We spiced it up this time and went to a new source for regretful parents content: Facebook’s “I Regret Having Children” page. Can you imagine anything more depressing than posting about regretting parenthood on Facebook?? Me either! Tune in for a great recap of three stories found on Meta's worst platform.  We have two long weekend trips to:...

R. O. Kwon is the author of the two best selling books — The Incendiaries and Exhibit , the second of which received a New York Times Editors’ Choice award. Kwon’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, New Yorker, Time, Vanity Fair, The Guardian, and beyond — often writing about abortion rights, being childfree, as well as her identities as an Asian American and queer woman. Born in Seoul, K...

Let’s talk about the SAVE act — the new legislation moving through Congress that has TikTok worried that many women and trans people will no longer be eligible to vote. If you’re unfamiliar, the SAVE Act would require all Americans to prove their citizenship with documentation unavailable to millions and upend the way every American citizen registers to vote. We have two long weekend trips to Mexi...

If you’ve been thinking about joining Dinky on a trip but not yet quite sold, this is the episode for you! In March, Dinky took 20 members of the Dink Squad to the bucket list destination every person who wanted to become an archeologist dreamt of going: Egypt. In this episode, we’ll recount the experience and share some audio clips from the travelers — and hopefully inspire you, too, to add Egypt...

Enjoy this full preview of the our bonus episodes! The  Dinky Patreon is officially live — join now to support the show + gain access to weekly, ad-free episodes, chat with us & other childfree pals in the Dinky Discord, join our virtual book club, and more!  Today we are joined by Caitlin Easter, who has been practicing family law in Oregon since 2016. Her and her fiancee are proudly childfre...

To get access to the full episode, subscribe to our Patreon . In the second part of this stupid series, Kristen and Erika explore one of our favorite topics, The Muppets, and whether or not each character would have had kids or been childfree by choice.  Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support .

Today we are talking about a cult adjacent to Tradwives: the Momfluencer. According to Wikipedia: “A mom influencer or momfluencer is a mother who shares the early moments of motherhood on social media, often utilizing sites such as Instagram.” Or, as Vox reports, “The simplest definition (of a momfluencer) is someone who has monetized her maternal identity on social media.” We’ll be covering the...

To get access to the full episode, subscribe to our Patreon . Today we are joined by Caitlin Easter, who has been practicing family law in Oregon since 2016. Her and her fiancee are proudly childfree by choice, a decision reinforced by what she witnesses in her career as a divorce and child custody attorney. We’ll be talking to her about her day-to-day as well as her legal "thesis,” which argued w...