Episode
Regretful Parents: “I Thought Life Was Worth Living… Now I’m Not So Sure” | Reddit Stories (Ft. The Girl With The List!)
- Podcast
- Dinky
- Published
- Feb 22, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1591
- Processing state
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Summary
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/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/dinkypod regretful parents podcast, parenting reg…