It’s our favorite episode of the year! Today, we’re joined by two of our besties — friends of the pod, Mrs. Mikee Garcia and Sapphire Sandalo. Join us as we discuss the horrifying topic of “parricide” and partake in a round of Spooky Would You Rather? Plus, test your knowledge of cryptids and see if you know more than our guest hosts (but don’t worry: you definitely know more than Erika.) Mikee is a TikToker under the handle @mrs.mikeegarcia — she’s a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo, a curly ...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 6Ep. 7
This might be our most requested episode EVER. In August, the United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory with the claim that parenting is a hazard to your health and mental well-being . The full document from the Surgeon General is roughly 30 pages and let me tell you, if you thought parenting sounded horrible before, let me tell you: it’s worse than you think! We’ll get into what the study found, and discuss what they’re recommending as opportunities to lessen parental st...
Oct 08, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 6Ep. 6
As childfree content creators, we often hear from folks who are considering fostering or adoption. That’s why today, we’re talking to probably one of the best voices on the topic. Angela Tucker, a transracial adoptee, is a filmmaker and author challenging the dominant adoption paradigms by centering adoptee voices in the mainstream. Angela is a Black woman adopted from foster care to a white family. Her story has been chronicled in ‘Closure’ , a documentary about the search for her biological pa...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Two years ago on Reddit, user dettispaghetti wrote on the truechildfree subreddit on a post titled “Euthanasia will be an option when we're old and decrepit.” Saying, “Seriously... the answer to the age old question of who will change your diapers when you're old is no one. People will not be dying agonizing cancer deaths in a few decades either. Whenever people have asked me this I have always told them I am never going to be an old hag suffering in pain regardless of whether I have children or...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Our guest today is Israa Nasir , a psychotherapist, speaker, and founder of the digital mental health brand Well.Guide on Instagram. Israa was born in Pakistan, and raised between Saudi Arabia and Toronto — but she’s also lived in the Middle East, South Asia, and the United States. This, along with her mixed-cultural identity has given her a unique perspective on the challenges of cross-cultural experiences and life transitions. Her work on mental health has been featured in Business Insider, NB...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 6Ep. 3
In this episode, Kristen and Erika unpack — gestures broadly — everything happening in the world — before ultimately discussing the new Netflix docuseries ‘The Man With 1000 Kids’ — which primarily tells the story of Jonathan Meijer, a Dutch sperm donor accused of fathering somewhere between 500 and 3,000 children via sperm donation, and defrauding vulnerable families in the Netherlands and around the world. Tune in to hear our thoughts on the documentary and much more! Articles referenced: NYT ...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 6Ep. 2
By popular demand, this episode will cover everything you need to know about Project 2025. If you’re unfamiliar, many are calling Project 2025 a “dystopian right-wing blueprint to overhaul America,” under the assumption that former President and convicted felon Donald Trump is elected to a second term as president. We’ll discuss abortion, women’s rights, and why it matters for you. Most importantly, we’ll talk about what you can do to make sure this insanity doesn’t make it to the White House. W...
Jul 23, 2024•57 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Today, we’re talking with Danni Duncan: one of the most-well known childfree creators on the internet. You’ll recognize Danni from her incredible New Zealand accent, where she resides with her husband Alex and two cats, Stan and Billie. She’s a self-proclaimed homebody and known for spending her day rearranging her home. She loves fashion, good wine, and books — and spends all her money on eating at restaurants and a bit of travel here and there. Find Danni on Instagram and TikTok . You can also...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 10
In this episode, we’re joined by Krystal the Hot Mess Healer — she’s a spiritual coach, animal sanctuary director, fitness and wellness entrepreneur, and yes: a retired stripper. We’re gonna talk to her about the sex work industry, the things men said about their “baby mommas” in private, and so much more. Follow Krystal the Hot Mess Healer on TikTok . Read more about The Baldwins and their new stupid show. Watch the four hour Star Wars video review on YouTube . If you’d like to donate to the sa...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 9
We! Love! Teachers! That’s why, in this episode, we’re talking to a legendary, hilarious educator known on TikTok as MyTeacherFace with nearly 700k followers at the time of publication. Dr. Jessica Hawk has been an educator for 32 years and teaches advanced placement English to seniors and a film analysis class in New Jersey — with very exciting things on the horizon! Tune in to hear her thoughts on why so many teachers are childfree, what it’s like to come from four generations of childfree wom...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Grab the Kleenex, because this interview gets *emotional!* Chelsea Devantez is an Emmy-nominated writer, comedian, director, and host of the podcast Glamorous Trash. Before she entered into an overall television deal with 20th Century Fox, she was Jon Stewart’s Head Writer for Apple TV+'s The Problem with Jon Stewart. Other television credits include Not Dead Yet, Girls5Eva, and Bless this Mess, among others. In 2020, Chelsea wrote, directed, and starred in the 2020 SXSW film, Basic, and is set ...
May 28, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Somedays, it really feels like the trolls have it out for childfree folks — but no one knows this more than our friend Mikee. You’ve probably seen her on TikTok, where she has nearly 17k followers under the username @mrs.mikeegarcia. Mikee is a 29-year-old 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo, a curly girl who loves to help women embrace their natural hair, and a DINK who is an active voice in the childfree community. In this episode, we’ll be talking with her about her experiences as a content cr...
May 14, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Today we are excited to chat with a “pleasure doula,” Sara Elise : an autistic, Black & Indigenous, queer, femme, who works primarily in the hospitality, well-being, and food industries. She has graduated business school, worked on Wall Street, and has been featured in Playboy, Nylon, Bon Appetit, StyleLikeU, and was one of BK Magazine’s 50 Most Fascinating People of 2022 . She has modeled for brands like Sephora, Mercedes Benz, Madewell, and Instagram, and she is the author of A Recipe for ...
Apr 30, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 5Ep. 5
If you’re a Millennial or Gen Z, there’s a good chance you were raised on shows from Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. By now, you’ve probably heard about the documentary ‘Quiet on Set’ which covers the untold story of the abusive environment inside '90s kids' television. So, as two people who love pop culture and aren’t having kids because the planet is awful, we have to talk about it. Wanna go to Switzerland with us ? Learn more and book now. Today's podcast is brought to you by Childfree Wealth...
Apr 16, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 5Ep. 4
“Trad wife” is the new buzzword in pop culture — and we can’t seem to escape it, no matter how hard we try. While it might seem harmless and dumb on the surface, trad wife culture is deeply rooted in pronatalism. If you’re not familiar with the term, pronatalism is the policy or practice of promoting childbirth or encouraging people to have children. Today, pronatalism & pronatalist policies are on the rise all around us — from ads on television to the decisions from the Supreme Court. So, t...
Apr 02, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Today we are honored to be joined by Ali Davis, a cult and childhood torture survivor. Ali grew up under Bill Gothard's teachings (otherwise known as the fundamentalist Christian cult portrayed in ‘Shiny Happy People’). Due in large part to Ali’s childhood experiences, she is now in her early 30s and childfree by choice. Ali is passionate about raising awareness of non-war related childhood torture and is the founder and Executive Director of the pretti graffiti foundation — the first and only n...
Mar 19, 2024•1 hr 31 min•Season 5Ep. 2
It’s almost spring, so naturally, we’re looking for excuses to DINK ourselves with a 2024 vacation. Your irresponsible, unhinged childfree besties have done the research on all things childfree vacations — including locations, best times of year, and childfree travel groups. Last but not least, we will also be chatting about our Lazy Girls trip, including a deep dive on the itinerary and what we’re looking forward to most. Wanna go to Switzerland with us ? As of publishing, there are only 8 spot...
Mar 05, 2024•55 min•Season 5Ep. 1
If there’s one thing childfree people hear over and over and over again, it’s that someday we’ll wake up and realize we made a mistake — and be saddled with tremendous regret over our choice to be childfree. So, today we’ll be talking to Marcia Drut-Davis — an 81 year old pioneer of the childfree lifestyle and author of two books: Confessions Of A Childfree Woman and What? You Don’t Want Children? Marcia also revealed her childfree status on national television in 1974 on a segment of ‘60 Minute...
Feb 20, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 10
It’s a mailbag episode!! We had such a blast answering listener questions last season that we’re coming at you with a fresh batch. We’ve pulled some of our favorite questions that listeners like you have sent in over DMs and email — so let this serve as a reminder: if you have a question or a comment, you can always reach us at [email protected]! Cheese Grotto graciously offered us an affiliate code! Use code DinkyPod10 for 10% off any Cheese Grotto order. Click HERE to see the Instagram post d...
Feb 06, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Have you ever thought, “Wow, I wish i could just leave everything behind and travel the globe with a community of other childfree women?” Well, then this episode was designed for you. We’ll be talking with the childfree content creator known on social media as @WildShe . Through her work, she’s creating a community for childfree, travel-loving, free-spirited women to unite and challenge social norms. Having traveled and lived globally, mostly solo, for more than 10 plus plus years, she is probab...
Jan 23, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 4Ep. 8
It’s a new year and we know fans of Dinky aren’t just childfree — they’re also big fans of true crime. So, our 2024 gift to you is Dinky with a slice of murder. In this episode we’re covering the famous story that made us all think deeply about the ethics of procreation: Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother Dee Dee. Plus, we unpack the news that Gypsy plans to have kids post-prison . Donate to support this show. Shop our merch. Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Instagram a...
Jan 09, 2024•51 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Listeners, strap in for a thriller of an episode. We’re talking to New York Times bestselling author and childfree superstar Andrea Bartz . Andrea Bartz is a journalist and author of her hit novels like The Spare Room, The Lost Night, The Herd, and Reese’s Book Club pick We Were Never Here . Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Vogue , and many other outlets, and she's held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self , among other publications. Tune in t...
Dec 26, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In this episode, we’re diving into the topic of codependency . You might be asking yourself, what does codependency have to do with being childfree? Well, with some estimates suggesting that over 90-percent of the American population demonstrates some form of codependent behavior — childfree folks are no exception. So today, we’ll be talking to codependency coach Jo Westood on overcoming people pleasing tendencies in your childfree life, setting boundaries, and most importantly: how to deal with...
Dec 12, 2023•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Today, we’re going to be talking about the commodification of pregnancy. Specifically, we’re taking a deep dive into the complicated world of surrogacy: the process in which a person carries and delivers a child for a couple or individual. We’ll be learning about the different types of surrogacy, how surrogates are compensated (that is, if payment is even allowed in your state!) — and discuss if surrogacy overall is even ethical. It’s a heady one, but a good one. To learn more about surrogacy la...
Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Is it just me, or do we all dream about shirking societal norms and living with our childfree besties in a shared, intentional community — something like the Golden Girls? In today’s episode, Erika and Kristen dive deep into why intentional communities might just be the answer to childfree living we’ve been looking for. We’ll be talking about the broad strokes of the topic: from types of intentional communities that exist, to the logistics around shared property, and more. To learn more about in...
Nov 14, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Our first episode on regretful parents was such a hit, we wanted to dive even deeper. In this episode, we’re joined by Orna Donath, a sociologist who probably knows more about parental regret than anyone on the planet. She is the author of the book, ‘Regretting Motherhood’ — which covers her study of 23 women on their experiences with regret over their role as mothers. You can buy Orna’s book HERE to read it yourself. To find the article on orgs to support in Israel and Palestine, visit CharityW...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Season 4Ep. 2
To celebrate the launch of Season 4 and Halloween in one fell swoop, we’re joined by paranormal historian and expert Sapphire Sandalo. You might recognize her as a co-host on the Travel Channel TV shows like ‘Ghost Town Terror’ or ‘Paranormal Caught On Camera.’ She also has her own award-winning spooky podcast, 'Stories With Sapphire.' Additionally, October is Filipino American History Month, and as a Filipino-American, Sapphire shares her thoughts on the cultural pressures of being childfree as...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 27 min•Season 4Ep. 1
The season three finale has arrived! To celebrate, we’re interviewing Dominique Baker, an award-winning skin and hair expert in her 40s who has been featured in WhoWhatWear, Style Canada, The Guardian and more. Plus, we catch up with Nick, one of the listeners we recently set up on a date via Instagram’s new app Threads, and it’s a WILD story. To shop Erika’s skincare routine: The Wayfair makeup organizer Olay Total Effects Revitalizing Foaming Face Wash Dr. Andrew Weil Mega-Mushroom Relief &...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Season 3Ep. 10
Listeners, today is all about YOU. This may be our third season, but it’s also our first season doing a mailbag episode! You all sent in a ton of great questions on Instagram — from how to deal with your childfree status in professional settings, to our best dating advice, to coping with in-laws, and so much more! Become a monthly subscriber to help this show stay ad-free. Wanna connect with us on social media? You can find us on Instagram and TikTok at @dinkypod. If you have a question or comme...
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 18 min•Season 3Ep. 9
I know what you’re thinking: what does artificial intelligence have to do with a DINK lifestyle? Surprisingly, more than you think! In this episode, we explore a common philosophical question in antinatalist circles: Should artificial intelligence be given the ability to experience pain and suffering? Plus, we chat about recent statements from Mo Gawdat, a former Google X exec, on why he’s urging people to hold off on having kids as a result of the rise of artificial intelligence. You can find t...
Jul 18, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 8
