According to ‘The Atlantic’, millennials recently overtook boomers as the largest pet-owning cohort of Americans; by some estimates, more than half of them have a dog. The pet-ownership rate is even higher among those with a college education and a stable income—the same people who are most likely to delay marriage and parenthood beyond the timelines set by previous generations. So should you just stop at pet ownership or continue down the path of human parenthood? In this episode, we will review how pets vs. children impact your health, happiness, and more. To learn more about the effects children and pets have on health and life expectancy, check out these articles: https://www.health.com/condition/pregnancy/reproductive-history-health-risks https://www.mrhc.org/blog/news/does-not-having-kids-cause-health-issues-in-women/ https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/understanding-how-having-children-can-affect-your-health/ https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/keeping-pets-and-people-healthy/how.html https://www.parents.com/news/giving-birth-later-in-life-could-mean-you-live-longer-according-to-a-new-study/ https://www.vice.com/amp/en/article/gyxqxw/how-having-kids-could-affect-your-lifespan https://www.verywellhealth.com/pets-and-longevity-2223874 For more info on brain changes when interacting with kids or pets, visit: https://www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/blog/understanding-how-having-children-can-affect-your-health/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/many-same-brain-regions-are-activated-when-mothers-look-their-pets-or-their-children-180952946/ To support this show, visit https://anchor.fm/dinky-podcast Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Instagram and TikTok at @dinkypod. If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected]. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

Nothing defines the holidays more than brutal conversations with family. Going home for the holidays leaves you especially vulnerable to parents asking when you’re gonna settle down and pop out a couple grandchildren. On this special episode, we’re joined by Gabrielle Moss, author of How To Tell Your Parents You Don’t Want Kids on Bustle.com, as well as Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of '80s and '90s Teen Fiction, and GLOP: Nontoxic, Expensive Ideas That Will Make You Look Ridiculous And Feel Pretentious. Moss joins to breaks down her top tips on how delivering the news with compassion. If you’re sweating the conversation, this episode is for you. To buy one of Gabrielle’s books, visit Bookshop.org.  For the full story on Kylie Jenner’s son, Wolf, check out this story at People.  Tap HERE to support this show.  Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Instagram and TikTok.  If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected]. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

Black Friday and Cyber Monday might be over — but the residual effects of capitalism will stick with you for a lifetime! It’s the most anticipated time of year, so it’s only appropriate that we release one of our most anticipated episodes, and the topic that’s America’s #1 friend: capitalism. What do capitalism and choosing to be childfree have in common? Actually, a lot! Tune in to hear us unpack the topic and dig deep on why billionaires are really counting on procreation. For the full list of the most popular toys of the 90s, read the full list HERE.  To learn more about the history of capitalism, visit Wikipedia. Yes, really.  For more on Jennifer Aniston’s journey with IVF and childlessness, read her feature in Allure.  To support this show, give back by clicking HERE.  Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Instagram and TikTok at @dinkypod. If you have a question or comment, email us at [email protected]. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

The holidays are right around the corner and that means one thing: people are about to say some really awful sh!t to you about your decision to remain childfree. If you’re bubbling with anxiety about how to respond when people ask “who will take care of you when you’re old?” or tell you “you’re selfish” — we’ve got you covered. It’s high tide to prep your reactions so you’re in peak position to clap back at Aunt Kathy. To learn more about the $25k necklace Tristan Thompson gave to his daughter, god speed.  To see Brittany Mahomes “sexy maternity shoot” visit People.com:  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

We’re talking about children who see dead people, kids who believe they’re reincarnated, and the stressed out parents who birthed them. Kristen and Erika also introduce a brand new segment: The Celebrity Playground! Tune in to hear it all — but warning: you might wanna leave the lights on and your IUD in. If you want to learn more about the psychology of why kids see ghosts, read this article from WaPo.  If you want to hear more horrifying stories from parents, there are several articles where parents share creepy things their kids said. There's also a Reddit thread on the topic.  Click here to buy ‘Return To Life: Extraordinary Cases Of Children Who Remember Past Lives’.  To learn more about time slips, we recommend this article on Medium. To learn more about how babies’ brains look similar to a person on LSD, check out this article.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

Welcome back to Season 2 of Dinky! In this season premiere, Kristen and Erika catch up on what happened during the break — from weddings, to health scares, and beyond. We introduce some new changes and cover what’ll be new in this season, including more celeb content, and a deeper dive on antinatalism and being childfree. Plus, we’re joined by Matt Simpson, the creator of the Parenting Simulator from Season 1. Listen in to hear him reveal the real reason he created the game, his takes on how to know if parenting is right for you, and more. ‘My Five Wives’ is available to stream on Discovery+ To follow Matt Simpson, find him on Twitter To play the Parenting Simulator yourself, download the app HERE. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

In this season's finale, we’ve been saving the best for last!!! Kristen & Erika love reality television, celebrity news, and gossip — so we finally combined our favorite topics of all time to discuss the intersection of the childfree lifestyle and celebrities. This episode is all about childfree icons and the pressures of having children as seen in pop culture. To enjoy a nice sit down dinner, visit your local Red Lobster. To play along with the Parenting Simulator, download the app here.  Here’s a comprehensive list of every article we referenced during our conversation: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/celebrities/news/g21965029/11-celebrities-on-not-having-children/https://www.reddit.com/r/childfree/comments/w36tp5/who_are_your_favorite_childfree_celebrities/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmfhttps://www.wellesley.edu/news/2014/04/node/41168https://screenrant.com/best-tv-shows-about-married-couples-without-children/amp/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

This bonus is special conversation that was cut from our episode on the declining birth rate on the factors behind Japan's shrinking population, and the genius way Japanese women have handled the inequality in parenting relationships.  To learn more about Japan's shrinking population, read this article from the New York Times.  To enjoy a nice sit down dinner, visit your local Red Lobster: https://www.redlobster.com/ To play along with the Parenting Simulator, download the app here: https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-contributed/parenting-simulator/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

Whether you’ve seen it mentioned by Elon Musk on Twitter or in a panic article by the New York Times, you’ve probably heard buzz lately about concerns about the declining birth rate. In this episode, we discuss the global trend, how different countries are tackling the issue, how it will affect millennials in particular, and chat through how worried we really should be. Try out our TikTok filter & find out what sit down dinner you are: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRfS22r1/ To learn more about the declining birth rates worldwide, visit: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/total-fertility-rate To learn about the impacts COVID had on birth rates, read this article by NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/us/us-birthrate-falls-covid.html To learn more on why folks are freaking out over it, read this article by WaPo: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2017/06/30/the-u-s-fertility-rate-just-hit-a-historic-low-why-some-demographers-are-freaking-out/ Check out this article on how Social Security will be impacted: https://feeds.aarp.org/retirement/social-security/questions-answers/how-much-longer-will-social-security-be-around.html?_amp=true To enjoy a nice sit down dinner, visit your local Red Lobster: https://www.redlobster.com/ To play along with the Parenting Simulator, download the app here: https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-contributed/parenting-simulator/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support

If you’re in your 20s or 30s, there’s a good chance you’ve lost friends as people you knew started to have kids. In today’s episode, Kristen and Erika chat about how to cope when you’re the last childfree person in your friend group, and the best and worst advice the internet has to offer on maintaining friendships with friends after they become parents. Have a question? Email us at [email protected]. Read “Hi, From Your Childless Friend” by A Cup Of Jo. More stats on being childfree: https://time.com/241/having-it-all-without-having-children/ On parents staying friends with childfree folks: https://archive.nytimes.com/parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/06/can-parents-stay-friends-with-the-child-free/ To buy yourself fresh flowers, visit bouqs.com To enjoy a nice sit down dinner, visit your local Red Lobster: https://www.redlobster.com/ To play along with the Parenting Simulator, download the app here: https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-contributed/parenting-simulator/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/dinky-podcast/support