This week, Erika and Kristen take a brief detour from the usual Regretful Parents subreddit and dive into a viral post from the “Am I Overreacting?” corner of Reddit. The situation? A mom who hasn’t had a solo shower in four days after caring for two sick kids alone while her husband enjoyed a bachelor party weekend. She finally gets a moment to herself… only to have it interrupted.

When her husband returns home, things quickly spiral from mildly inconsiderate to fully infuriating. Instead of watching their one-year-old for five minutes while she showers, he places the baby in a playpen and leaves the house to run an errand. The result is a text exchange so ridiculous that Erika and Kristen perform a dramatic reenactment — and have plenty to say about communication, mental load, and weaponized cluelessness in parenting partnerships.

Is the original poster overreacting… or is this guy just the worst?

What We Talk About

• The realities of parenting while your partner is away
• Why moms so often feel like they need to “ask permission” for basic self-care
• Whether the OP should have been more direct—or if the husband should have used common sense
• A dramatic reading of the couple’s painfully awkward text exchange
• The absolute audacity of leaving a baby alone during a shower
• The difference between a partner and an extra child you have to manage
• The fantasy revenge scenarios we’d personally consider in this situation
• Reddit’s best comments roasting this guy

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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

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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.

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

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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.

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Website: https://www.dinkypod.com/
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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

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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/
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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

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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.

In this episode, Kristen and Erika dive into another brutally honest story from the Regretful Parents series — this time from a 39-year-old single mother by choice who spent thousands on fertility treatment… and now says she feels trapped, broke, constantly sick, and deeply regretful.

If you’ve ever felt pressure from society, family, media, or your “biological clock” — this episode is for you.

We’re talking about:

• The reality of being a single mom by choice
• Fertility treatment expectations vs. reality
• Postpartum depression & long-term mental health struggles
• Why parents say “it’s worth it” (even when it’s not)
• The myth of “you’ll have so much support”
• Constant illness after daycare
• Why society pushes women toward marriage & motherhood
• Disney, fairy tales, and lifelong conditioning
• Marriage propaganda & pronatalist culture
• Why antidepressants are often recommended to struggling parents
• And the uncomfortable truth: what if you simply don’t enjoy parenting?

Subscribe for More
New episodes weekly on:

• Regretful parents stories
• Childfree life
• Marriage realities
• Women opting out of traditional paths
• Financial & emotional freedom without kids

Like, comment, and share if this episode resonated with you.
Learn more about Dinky: https://www.dinkypod.com 
Support the show on Patreon for bonus content: https://patreon.com/dinkypod


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

⚠️ Content Warning: Discussions of parental resentment, mental health crises, and implied threats of violence.

In this episode, Erika and Kristen dive a viral Reddit post from an Australian father overwhelmed by parenting two ADHD children with an ADHD spouse. What starts as complaints about mess, noise, and burnout spirals into resentment, misogyny, and an alarming confession.As two hosts with ADHD, we unpack the realities of living with ADHD and why so many parents seem shocked by… having to parent??? Along the way, we discuss weaponized incompetence, emotional labor, mental health stigma, ADHD medication debates, and why therapy is not optional when resentment turns dangerous.

Learn more about Dinky: https://www.dinkypod.com 
Support the show on Patreon for bonus content: https://patreon.com/dinkypod

And until next time…Don’t get pregnant. 😌

Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to the Regretful Parents series
00:17 – “Parenting with ADHD is pretty rough” (yeah… we noticed)
01:06 – ADHD, pregnancy, resentment & mood swings
02:20 – Corporate burnout, part-time work, full-time expectations
03:23 – Gentle parenting, authority, and medicating ADHD kids
04:19 – “If I’d known, I would’ve run the other way”
05:03 – Losing respect for a spouse & blaming medical misogyny
06:40 – “I don’t like my kids” (🚩🚩🚩)
07:36 – Messy houses, unrealistic expectations & parenting delusion
08:14 – “Why can’t they just be normal?”
09:11 – Health decline, resentment, and isolation
09:53 – The sentence that made everything terrifying
10:31 – Therapy is not optional
11:26 – Reddit comments that actually offer solutions
12:32 – ADHD discipline, structure & realistic expectations
14:20 – Autonomy, accountability & parenting resentment
15:24 – ADHD, ODD, and opting out of parenthood
16:02 – Final thoughts: the kids didn’t ask to be here


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Today, we’re talking about Project 2026.
 
Two years ago, we covered everything you needed to know about Project 2025, the dystopian right-wing plan from the Heritage Foundation that was largely considered the blueprint for the Trump administration’s first year back in office. 

But the Heritage Foundation didn’t stop there — no, their nightmare for America knows no bounds. So today, we’re unpacking everything you need to know about Project 2026, their new plans for chaos and destruction. 

SOURCES:
Project 2025 architects lay out 2026 policy vision
How much of Project 2025 has actually been accomplished this year?

TRIPS:
Artsy Adventure In Vietnam With Erika
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.

⚠️Content Warning: This episode discusses disability, regret, resentment, and medical trauma. Listener discretion advised.

In this episode, Kristen and Erika dive into a post titled “I dislike my disabled child and I am ashamed.”
Pulled straight from Facebook — where it racked up over 5,000 likes — this anonymous post opens up an uncomfortable conversation about parenthood, disability, genetic testing, medical gaslighting, caregiver burnout, and the realities no one prepares parents for.

We react in real time to a mother describing life after learning her child will be profoundly disabled, require 24/7 lifelong care, and never be independent. From missed genetic diagnoses and a lawsuit, to rage, grief, resentment, and shame — this episode tackles the things parents aren’t allowed to say out loud.

We also unpack:
Medical gaslighting of women by doctors
Society’s obsession with “perfect motherhood”
How people are brutally cruel to regretful parents online
The myth that “everything will work out” 

If you’re childfree, on the fence, or questioning the fantasy version of parenthood society sells us, this episode is for you.

More episodes, tours, and unfiltered chaos: DinkyPod.com
Join our childfree community: patreon.com/dinkypod
Take a trip with us: https://trovatrip.com/host/profiles/dinky-wxarg 
Learn more about our podcast: dinkypod.com 

Love ya. Don’t get pregnant.

💬 Join the conversation:
Do you think parents are allowed to talk honestly about regret? Where is the line between truth and taboo?

Keywords / SEO Tags:
regretful parents, disabled child, caregiver burnout, medical gaslighting, regretful motherhood, childfree podcast, parenting regret, genetic testing failure, NIPT test lawsuit, disability and parenting, Facebook confession, honest parenting podcast, anti natalism, childfree by choice, Dinky Podcast

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