Dinky

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We’re talking with author Jaclyn Westlake! Jaclyn is a former recruiter and career advice columnist who now writes novels about funny, flawed women doing their best to find their authentic way in the world. She is the author of Dear Dotty — a finalist for the Women's Fiction Writers Association Star Award — and Lucky Break, whose main character navigates grief, therapy, and the unexpected freedom of a life that didn't go according to plan. Jaclyn lives in California with her husband Brian and their chihuahua mix, Mr. Pickles. 

TRIPS:Christmas Markets 2026!!! 

GET MORE FROM DINKY:Treat yourself to new merch!

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.

Today we are doing another dedicated Regretful Parents episode. This is our fourth full episode we’ve done on regretful parents and, if you didn’t notice by now, we also have a recurring series we try to do weekly available wherever you find podcasts and a whole lot more on our YouTube channel.

In today’s episode, I have compiled a ton of recent posts on Facebook’s I Regret Having Children, which as of recording has 105k members. Trigger warning that there is some talk of parricide (or the murder of one’s own family member) in today’s episode. Either way, you are in for a ride.

TRIPS: Christmas Markets 2026!!!

GET MORE FROM DINKY: Treat yourself to new merch!

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.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Shop items from our Dink Yourself segment. 

Today, we’re talking to the mind behind the Instagram account Kids or Childfree. Keltie Maguire is a Clarity Coach, and offers coaching, workshops, and a podcast dedicated to helping women navigate one of life's biggest and most underserved decisions: whether or not to become a parent. Now based in Germany, Keltie came to this work through her own uncertainty. In our conversation we’ll talk about what helped her feel good in her own choice, what to expect from her workshops, plus: we’ll ask her what the deal is with men. 

TRIPS: Christmas Markets 2026!!!

GET MORE FROM DINKY:Treat yourself to new merch!

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.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Shop items from our Dink Yourself segment. 

Our guest today is Kennedy, who goes by Cozy K or just @cozy.games on social media, has more than 1.5 million followers across Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Cozy K is your gaming and lifestyle bestie dedicated to creating a warm, welcoming space for all who appreciate games, hobbies and an overall cozy aesthetic –  a true pioneer of the “cozy gamer” identity. From heartfelt game recommendations and game release play-throughs to cozy room tours and DIY projects, Kennedy’s content is a love letter to slowing down and finding joy in simple pleasures. 

TRIPS: Christmas Markets 2026!!! 

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.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! Shop items from our Dink Yourself segment. 

Today we are joined by Eva Zu Beck: an adventure YouTuber, host and director of the show Superskilled on NatGeo, and a self-proclaimed feral woman. We ask her about her experiences leaving corporate life to travel the world, her experiences with her dog Vilk, and what it’s like to be a woman in this industry. 

TRIPS:Christmas Markets 2026!!! 

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.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! 

Shop items from our Dink Yourself segment. 

Today, we’re talking with Helena de Groot — creator, sound designer, storyteller, and the audio producer behind several beloved podcasts. Originally from Belgium, she's the producer of the Poetry Foundation's flagship interview show Poetry Off the Shelf, and the co-creator of the cult-classic Paris Review Podcast. 

Her newest project, Creation Myth, is an eight-part audio memoir for CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) — a deeply personal account of her experience wrestling with the decision to have children, or not. The series follows Helena from her certainty in her early years, through a marriage, an abortion, and a divorce, and beyond. 

TRIPS: Christmas Markets 2026!!! 

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.

UPDATE: Hi folks, we're releasing this Patreon exclusive to all our listeners for free because the main story in this episode is now going to court + we want to share the story more widely. If you want to support her trial: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-fight-for-justice-after-a-courtordered-csection

Erika and Kristen dig into a deeply disturbing ProPublica investigation of two Black women in Florida who were subjected to emergency court hearings during active labor when they refused unwanted C-sections. 

The hosts break down the cases in detail, including the murky statistics on uterine rupture risk, the medical racism baked into how Black women are treated during childbirth, and how Florida's fetal personhood laws have created a legal landscape where state prisoners have more rights over their medical decisions than pregnant women.

They also revisit the ongoing story of Adriana Smith, the Georgia woman declared brain dead at 9 weeks pregnant whose family has been navigating the aftermath of forced life support ever since.

Key topics covered

The ProPublica investigation into Cherise Doyley and Brianna Bennett
What fetal personhood laws are and why they matter right now
The 1999 Laura Pemberton case — an early Florida forced C-section precedent
Medical racism and the maternal mortality disparity for Black women
The difference between doulas and midwives
Why mentally competent patients can refuse most medical treatment
Adriana Smith's story and her family's GoFundMe
Women being excluded from health studies until the 1990s

TRIPS:
Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With Erika (Tickets close on May 2!) 
Christmas Markets 2026!!! 

GET MORE FROM DINKY:Treat yourself to new merch!

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.

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! 

Today, we’re being BLESSED by the one and only Rachel Cargle. When we started this podcast, Rachel was one of our number one dream guests. Rachel is a founder, an organizer, an author, an activist. Her work focuses mostly on intersectionality and womanhood. She is the creator of the iconic community for childfree women Rich Auntie Supreme. She’s the author of A Renaissance of Our Own: A Memoir & Manifesto on Reimagining which is a very lovely book that I’d recommend to anyone who is working through a new phase of their life. 

TRIPS:

Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With Erika (time is running out!!!) 

Christmas Markets 2026!!! 

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.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode

In this episode of our Regretful Parents series, Kristen and Erika react to a viral Reddit post from a mom who was *thrilled* when her ex-husband filed for full custody of their 3-year-old son — and immediately booked a flight.

We get into the messy reality of co-parenting, why dads get a pass for bad parenting while moms never do, the way society fails boys by refusing to discipline them, and why this woman packing her bags (and her cat) might actually be… the right call?

💬 Topics we cover:• Regretful parents Reddit reactions• Co-parenting gone wrong — and when to just let go• The "let them" philosophy and when it actually applies• Why boys are socialized differently — and why that's a problem• Childfree life wins: peace, quiet, and traveling solo• The green card plot twist no one saw coming• Australia: the ultimate escape plan?

Take a trip with us!

South of France in June: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/france/france-with-erika-abdelatif-jun-2026 

Christmas Markets trip in December: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/germany-and-austria/germany-with-erika-abdelatif-dec-09-2026?earlybird=true 

Support the pod and get even more content: patreon.com/dinkypod 

#RegretfulParents #ChildfreeLife #DinkyPodcast #Childfree #ParentingFails #CoParenting #RedditReactions #ChildfreeByChoice #MomLife #PodcastForWomen

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

Want more exclusive content from Dinky? Join the Patreon! 

Erika and Kristen are joined by returning guest Neill Wolf to break down Louis Theroux's Netflix documentary Into the Manosphere — and the terrifying, infuriating, hilarious world it reveals. From 13-year-olds swarming influencers in the streets of New York to a pregnant girlfriend who may not know she's not legally married, this one is one for the books. 

We chat about: 
HSTikkyTokky (Harrison) — a 23-year-old who introduces women as his "dishwasher," streams seven hours a day, and has a very weird dynamic with his mom. The hand symbols, his shaved head era, and his complete moral vacuum are all thoroughly dissected.
Justin — the 40-year-old "polished" manosphere figure with a pregnant common-law wife, a steel magnate past, and a philosophy he calls "one-sided monogamy." The most unsettling figure precisely because he seems reasonable — until he says women don't know what they want and men should tell them.
Myron Gaines (Fresh & Fit) — whose entire apartment is a podcast studio, whose girlfriend Angie cleans his room before Netflix arrives, and who couldn't answer Louie's question: "What if you just... only wanted to be with her?"

The Fresh & Fit Delusion Calculator, the Matrix conspiracy spiral, the Bonnie Blue cameo, the Baron Trump name-drop, and the penis extension expert… we discuss it all!!!!! 

The group also wrestles with bigger questions: What does the male loneliness epidemic actually look like? Why are these ideologies skewing younger and younger into Gen Alpha? Is it all just a big grift, a belief system, or both? And what on earth do you do about it?

Plus: Neill brought a list of things women invented. 

TRIPS:
Lavender Dreams & Riviera Nights With Erika (time is running out!!!) 
Christmas Markets 2026!!! 

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.