<b>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.</b><br /><b></b><br /><b>We discuss: </b><br /><b>• Why regret can become more philosophical as kids grow<br />• The crushing pressure parents feel to “not mess up” their children<br />• Anxiety about AI, social media, and the modern world kids are growing up in<br />• The myth that motherhood comes naturally<br />• Why some people realize the realities of parenting too late<br />• How comparison culture and mommy influencers make parenting harder<br />• Whether thinking deeply about parenthood BEFORE kids could prevent regret</b><br /><b></b><br /><b>TIMESTAMPS</b><br /><b>00:00 Intro + Meet Abby Porter<br />01:00 How parenting regret changes over time<br />03:00 Fear of traumatizing your kids (even if you’re a good parent)<br />05:00 Generational patterns, anxiety, and breaking cycles<br />07:00 Parenting anxiety about the future, AI, and safety<br />09:00 “Philosophical garbage” — unpacking that take<br />12:00 When motherhood isn’t what you expected<br />14:00 The myth that parenting comes naturally<br />16:00 Social media, mommy influencers, and comparison<br />18:00 Kids, screens, and the “iPad generation”<br />21:00 Therapist advice: stop spiraling or think deeper?<br />23:00 Why these conversations matter BEFORE having kids<br />24:50 Comment reactions + final thoughts</b><br /><b></b><br /><b>FOLLOW ABBY PORTER</b><br /><b>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@z00mie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.youtube.com/@z00mie</a> </b><br /><b>TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@z00mie" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.tiktok.com/@z00mie</a></b><br /><b>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/z00mi.e/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.instagram.com/z00mi.e/</a> <br /><br />MORE FROM US</b><br /><b>Website: <a href="https://www.dinkypod.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dinkypod.com/</a> <br />Patreon: <a href="https://patreon.com/dinkypod" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://patreon.com/dinkypod</a> </b><br /><b></b><br /><b>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</b><br /><br />Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support</a>.