Dinky

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! 

Today we are chatting with Nicole Louie, a writer and translator originally from Brazil and now based in Ireland. She is the author of Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children. Others Like Me chronicles her own journey towards embracing a life without children while weaving in stories from women around the world she found in her search for community and guidance. Nicole’s essays have appeared in Oh Reader Magazine, The Walrus, The Guardian, and Literary Hub. 

More info about the giveaway can be found on our Instagram!

Book Synopsis
Others Like Me: The Lives of Women Without Children by Nicole Louie (published by House of Anansi in North America)

In a world that expects all women to become mothers, what happens to those who circumvent motherhood?

Now and throughout history, women without children have been misunderstood and even vilified for not conforming to the prescriptive path of daughter, wife, mother, whether by choice, circumstance, or ambivalence. But with an increasing number of people choosing to forego children, Nicole Louie knew she was not alone. As she recounts her own journey toward embracing a life without children, Louie weaves in stories from the women around the world she found in her search for community and guidance, from their pasts to their presents to their hopes for the future.

TRIPS:
Christmas Markets 2026!!! 
Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With Erika

GET MORE FROM DINKY:
Treat yourself to new merch! Wanna get your finances in order?
Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show.

Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube.

If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

Is Love Is Blind accidentally telling a regretful parents story?

In this solo episode of the Regretful Parents series, Erika dives into the viral Reddit discussion about Love Is Blind Season 6 and the controversial engagement between Emma and Mike — specifically their major disagreement about having children.From pronatalist pressure to “you’d make a great mother” propaganda, this episode breaks down:Why you should NEVER “convince yourself” to have a child
The red flags in Emma and Mike’s engagement
The moment when Emma’s sister admitted she regrets having kids (and why the internet shamed her for it)
Transracial adoption trauma and identity struggles
Medical concerns, genetic testing, and reproductive autonomy
Italian family expectations & cultural pressure to have grandchildren
Why marriage is about compromising paint colors — not parenthood
Have you been watching Love Is Blind this season? What did you think about Emma’s sister’s honesty? Can a relationship survive when partners disagree about kids? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

MORE FROM US
Website: https://www.dinkypod.com/
Patreon: https://patreon.com/dinkypod 

Keywords:
regretful parents, regretful motherhood, Love Is Blind season 6, Emma and Mike Love Is Blind, childfree by choice, motherhood regret, pro natalism, transracial adoptee, adoption trauma, reality TV analysis, parenting pressure, women and reproductive choice, childfree women, regretful mom story, Netflix Love Is Blind recap

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! 

We’re kicking off Season 10 with a recap of our 2025 Christmas Markets trip and getting a sneak peek ahead at our next adventure. We cover what surprised us, what we loved, and what we’d do differently in, plus with some tips of what we’d do differently! PS: we also preview our upcoming 2026 Christmas Markets trip featuring stops in Vienna and Munich.Please forgive that we are both FULLY sick and FULLY ADHD.

TRIPS:
Christmas Markets 2026!!! 
Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With Erika

GET MORE FROM DINKY:
Treat yourself to new merch! 

Wanna get your finances in order? Use our link to sign up for a FREE 34 day trial of YNAB (You Need A Budget) and support the show.

Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Substack, Instagram, TikTok, and Threads at @dinkypod. Follow us on YouTube

.If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected]

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

What happens when parenting regret doesn’t go away… it just evolves?In this episode, Erika is joined by fellow childfree girlie Abby Porter (aka z00mie, aka “the girl with the list”)  to unpack a brand-new post from a parent whose regret has shifted from newborn exhaustion to something much heavier: existential anxiety, fear about the future, and the pressure of shaping a child’s entire life.

We discuss:
• Why regret can become more philosophical as kids grow
• The crushing pressure parents feel to “not mess up” their children
• Anxiety about AI, social media, and the modern world kids are growing up in
• The myth that motherhood comes naturally
• Why some people realize the realities of parenting too late
• How comparison culture and mommy influencers make parenting harder
• Whether thinking deeply about parenthood BEFORE kids could prevent regret

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro + Meet Abby Porter
01:00 How parenting regret changes over time
03:00 Fear of traumatizing your kids (even if you’re a good parent)
05:00 Generational patterns, anxiety, and breaking cycles
07:00 Parenting anxiety about the future, AI, and safety
09:00 “Philosophical garbage” — unpacking that take
12:00 When motherhood isn’t what you expected
14:00 The myth that parenting comes naturally
16:00 Social media, mommy influencers, and comparison
18:00 Kids, screens, and the “iPad generation”
21:00 Therapist advice: stop spiraling or think deeper?
23:00 Why these conversations matter BEFORE having kids
24:50 Comment reactions + final thoughts

FOLLOW ABBY PORTER
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@z00mie 
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@z00mie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/z00mi.e/

MORE FROM US
Website: https://www.dinkypod.com/
Patreon: https://patreon.com/dinkypod 

regretful parents podcast, parenting regret discussion, motherhood reality, childfree podcast, parenting mental health, motherhood expectations, modern parenting struggles, should I have kids, honest parenting talk, parenting anxiety, raising kids today, social media parenting pressure, AI future kids

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.

In this episode, Erika and Kristen read and react to a viral post from Reddit about a parent struggling with a chronically unhappy, clingy, sleep-hating four-year-old — and the toll it’s taking on her mental health.From colicky babies to nonstop whining, sleep deprivation, and the reality of parenting advice that doesn’t always help, this conversation dives into the messy truth behind “it gets better.” Along the way, the hosts share personal stories, debate nature vs. nurture, question whether some kids are just born grumpy, and wonder if one tiny old-soul child simply belongs on a bench in New York complaining about life.

They also discuss:What chronic sleep deprivation does to parents
Why some kids always seem happier 
The pressure to follow perfect parenting advice
Why “just take them somewhere fun” isn’t always helpful
Whether kids actually enjoy things like trips to London or seeing Big Ben (apparently not 😅)
The overstimulation nightmare of kid-heavy spaces
And a wild intergenerational daycare idea spotted on TikTok
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when parenting isn’t magical — this episode is for you.

If you enjoy the show and want to support it, check out our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/dinkypod

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.