Tiffany Wasiuk, 42, was almost ready to marry her now-husband when he told her on their first date that he didn't want children.
“It was a surprise when we actually met. We found someone who also didn't want children,” she said. We were both shocked to find someone who thought the same way.
Wasiuku is part of a growing number of DINKs (couples with dual incomes and no children) who are gaining attention in American pop culture, thanks in large part to social media. Check out our millions of views on videos about the perks of being a DINK.
In countries where paid leave is not guaranteed, childcare costs are increasing and becoming difficult to maintain. Villages need to be established to support child care, economic mobility becomes increasingly unaffordable, and the confluence of climate and political crises brings the idea of becoming a DINK to the fore. I am. For some, it is one of the last resorts to achieve the American dream of financial security, freedom, and the opportunity to retire on their own terms.
For Wasiuku, the road to becoming a DINK was a long one. She was given a baby doll when she was little, but she remembers that she wasn't into the idea of playing house or playing mom.
“I never wanted to play that role,” she said. In her teens, she took a babysitting course. One babysitter caused so much anxiety for her that she never babysat again.
“I remember all my friends talking about being mothers and what they were going to name their kids,” she said. “I could never connect to those conversations.” She never imagined herself getting pregnant or having a child, so she wondered if there was something wrong with her. was worried.
“When you reach adolescence in college, you realize you don't need to be a mother, you don't need to have children. This is fine. Some people don't need to have this,” she said. “But for a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me, because I didn't feel normal to those social norms.”
These days, Wasiuk is a happy DINK based in Virginia Beach. She is grateful to have found a like-minded partner. Lifestyle choices also mean a level of financial security and preparedness, which is a hallmark of DINKs. After all, DINK is emerging as a major financial force in the United States. net worth exceeds According to the latest research, all other types of family structures Survey on consumer finance.
This lifestyle also means Wasiuku, who also deals with chronic health issues, doesn't have to balance caring for her family. This is another aspect of DINKdom that has become a savior for people facing the ups and downs of life.
Being a DINK means traveling and boating, but it's not entirely socially acceptable
Wasiuk works on the business side of the healthcare industry. Ten years ago, she was able to earn her master's degree while working. Her husband had always been keen to save for her retirement since she was young, and she followed suit. They max out their investment accounts every year.
“Our portfolio is doing very well. That's something I'm really grateful for,” she said. “And I know that not having children contributes significantly to that expense.”
Like many other DINKs, Wasiuk and her husband love to travel. They take her on two nice trips a year. I love all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean.
Their dual-income lifestyle meant they were able to make purchases that others couldn't. She bought a Corvette convertible and they bought her two boats, a fishing boat and a motor yacht. They recently sold a motor yacht they owned for 12 years. All of this is possible because they don't have children and have been strategic about their money and savings.
“We live a boating lifestyle here in Virginia. We went and did it every weekend, and we were by far the youngest in the marina,” she said. “It's something we've always wanted to do, and we had to make it happen while we were in our 30s. Most of the people at the marina had already retired.”
That's not something she takes for granted. Wasiuk said there were moments when she pinched herself for what she was able to do, but she was always grateful. Her parents also had a boat at the marina, and she was able to go boating with Wasiuk and her husband.
“I couldn't ask for a better life. It was so phenomenal. So that's something I always have and always carry with me. You can't buy that. It's so precious,” she said. .
Wasiuk said she has received some offhand comments from past co-workers about not having children, but these have become less common as she's gotten older. She is blessed with a supportive network of friends who never question her choices, she said. Her friends love kids and love seeing photos of her adventures.
However, she believes that society's perception of DINK has not changed much. And she thinks that if it is changing, it is happening very slowly. A study of DINKs and social attitudes toward parents found, in the researchers' words, that “parents strongly support other parents, but childless adults do not necessarily support other childless adults.” It has been found. The poll also shows that millennials in particular believe there should be a moratorium on having children due to environmental and other harms. Still, these millennials remain a minority.
Wasiuk said women are expected to be mothers, wives or have jobs.
“I have a job, but a serious chronic illness may make me jobless someday. Does that make me any less valuable to society? No, that's just the way American society is right now. ” she said. “I think people just see those of us who don't want kids as selfish. And actually, I think we're very selfish in making that decision for a variety of reasons. But our instincts in society call us selfish.”
Are you a DINK who enjoys the lifestyle or would you like to be more accepted? Contact this reporter at: [email protected].
