Couples share all the benefits of living in a DINK relationship despite facing criticism

When I say DINK, what do you think of?

If your answer wasn’t relationships, I’m here to help.

When it comes to relationships, we live in a world of never ending buzzwords.

Whether we’re talking about going ‘boy sober’ or 'the ick', it seems like we’re always playing catch up.

Enter DINK couples, a relationship dynamic taking social media by storm.

And chances are, you may even be in one yourself.

What does DINK mean?

DINK stands for ‘Dual Income, No Kids’.

So, if you live with your other half, you both work, and you have no children - congrats, you’re in a DINK relationship. Or you’re a DINK-er. Can we make that catch on?

It is everyone’s personal choice on whether or not they have children. Whether it’s a work in progress or simply never on the horizon, it’s nobody else's business but your own.

Despite this, since the dawn of time, couples everywhere have been haunted by the ‘so when are you going to have kids then?’ question.

Why is it so controversial?

Zachary P. Neal, who studies child-free adults as part of his work as a psychology professor at Michigan State University, told The Wall Street Journal: "[Being child-free] has been for a very long time a sort of stigmatized category.

"There are all sorts of stereotypes - they’re self-absorbed, they have no stake in the future, they’re too focused on their career.”

And quite frankly, a lot of people have had enough of it - so are proudly flaunting their DINK lifestyle.

Benefits of DINK relationships

A number of couples have explained what makes their DINK set up so irresistible.

Brenton and Mirlanda Beaufils, both in their 30s, described enjoying their child-free lives as they 'go where the wind blows.’

Professional photographer Norelle chimed in to explain that being child-free has allowed her to take better care of her mum.

Norelle has been able to give her mum a new washer and dryer, house floors, and an almost-new Toyota RAV4 - which she says she deserves, as her mum raised her as a single parent.

Content creator Natalie Fischer said of her own relationship: "Being DINKs means we just have a lot of freedom, time and money."

Natalie and her husband, Keldon, both make six-figures every year, and last year travelled all over the world to Italy, Mexico, Thailand, Finland and more.

While this lifestyle seems like a dream, the couples interviewed do acknowledge that having children would change everything… a lot.

Natalie plans to have kids one day, noting: “I know that once I have a kid I will have to assume a lot of the caregiving responsibility and work less.”

Now that you’ve got your head around DINK, there’s a few more acronyms to learn.

Okay, so you know what DINK means, but what's a DINKWAD?

In a DINK with a dog? You’re a DINKWAD couple.

Or perhaps you’re a SINK - single income, no kids.

Or maybe, just maybe you’re a DINKY - dual income, no kids yet.

Holly Hummer, a Harvard University Ph.D. candidate who studies women without children, pointed out in the article: “We’re all sort of a SINK or a DINK for a portion of our lives."

Guess we should all embrace it.

Featured Image Credit: Getty stock photos

Topics: Sex and Relationships, Social Media, TikTok, Dating trends

Kya Buller

Kya is a Journalist at Tyla. She loves covering news, trends, and issues surrounding identity, sex and relationships, and mental health. Contact: [email protected]

@kyajbuller