My husband had a vasectomy at 34 — we love being selfish ‘DINKs’
They claim they’ve managed to avoid the tot-pocalypse.
An Australian man got a vasectomy at 34 so he and his wife could lead a “selfish” life without children, which entails taking lots of naps and vacationing whenever they want.
“It is my chance to enjoy a carefree life,” Heraldo Uribe told South West News Service of living the alleged dream.
He and his wife, Indi, 25, are self-proclaimed “DINKs” (which stands for “dual income no kids”), an apparently growing contingent of couples who abstain from having tykes as they feel it gives them more freedom — financial and otherwise.
“The DINK lifestyle is a bit selfish — in the best way,” declared Indi, a makeup artist in Sydney, who claims she chose not to have children because she is self-centered.
She added: “I’d rather be selfish without kids than have them and still want to be selfish.”
The major perk of the DINK life? The ability to be “spontaneous,” per Indi, who claims she can “take a nap whenever I want,” “go for dinner when I want” and “visit friends” without having to rearrange her life.
“I want peace and quiet and kids are noisy,” she declared. “I don’t see how a child would fit into our life.”
The Aussie met her hubby, Heraldo, now a car salesman, in 2018 while he was working as a cleaner and she was a bank employee.
He had reportedly taken a break from the army and moved down under to learn English.
The budding couple would spend their lunch breaks corresponding via Google Translate and she would help teach him the language.
Lo and behold, he became so enamored with his new life that he never went back to the military.
Interestingly, both made it clear early on that they had no intention to pass on their genes.
“We spoke about kids in the first few months of dating — so we knew we were on the same page,” said Indi, adding that they both felt children were “expensive.”
The eldest of four, Heraldo grew up looking after his three siblings — an experience he did not want to repeat in his adulthood. “As an adult, I finally feel like now I can choose to be childfree and say goodbye to the responsibilities that were burdened on me as a child,” declared the new man, who married his fellow DINK in 2022.
Unfortunately, with marriage came pressure from friends and relatives to have a bundle of joy.
“Two weeks after we got married we got questions saying ‘when are you having kids?’” said Indi. “We said we weren’t going to and they thought we were joking or that we would change our minds.”
Prodders realized the pair were serious after Heraldo got a vasectomy — a form of male birth control that involves cutting and sealing the sperm tubes — in 2023 after Indi struggled with the side effects associated with taking the pill.
“My husband got the snip so we can live forever in our DINK era,” she gushed.
And while gawkers were disappointed in their decision, the couple claims they are living the dream.
The childless lovebirds’ typical day entails waking and going to the gym together before going to work and then walking their dogs in the evening before having dinner.
On weekends, Heraldo often accompanies Indi to her job, before the pair return home and enjoy an afternoon nap.
One of the benefits is being able to travel anywhere at any time and the soulmates make it a point to take a vacation once a year and also visit friends whenever they desire.
“The DINK lifestyle allows me to almost get my childhood back and enjoy a stress-free life,” declared Hector. “I can focus on what I want — my career, my commitment as a husband and helping others.”
Now, five years into their relationship, neither party appears to regret their decision to not further the family tree.
“Your life is yours,” said Heraldo. “Everyone else already lived their life by their design so don’t let them dictate what you do with your opportunity.”
He added: “Life is a gift so use it to write your own story.”
“I made my choice to not have kids,” seconded Indi. “I’d rather regret not having children than regret having them.”
Interestingly, statistically abstaining from having kids doesn’t guarantee romantic longevity: Studies have found that childless couples in the US divorce at a higher rate than those with kids.
Then again, this is not necessarily an indicator of overall happiness because as the marital satisfaction of new parents declines so does the probability of them splitting up.
Meanwhile, a 2018 study found that having children can increase happiness provided that the parents can afford them.
