Full Show PT 2: Monday, June 1 [Vault]

Summary

The Bert Show — Full Show PT 2: Monday, June 1 [Vault]

Date: June 1, 2026
Hosts/Cast: Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, Carl, Jen, and friends
Episode Theme: Navigating Family Holidays, Parenting Dilemmas, and First-Time Experiences

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Overview

In this episode, the Bert Show crew bring their trademark authentic humor and candid conversation as they delve into listener drama and their own holiday challenges. From splitting Christmas between blended families, to taking kids on a Disney cruise, arranging guys’ trips to Las Vegas, and handling children’s gratitude (or lack thereof) on Christmas morning, the hosts and callers share relatable, entertaining, and sometimes poignant insights about family traditions and parenting in the real world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Navigating Family Boundaries During the Holidays

[00:46 – 06:57]

• Carl's Christmas Struggles:

  • Carl shares the difficulty he and his partner Katie have faced, trying to carve out time for themselves during Christmas amidst complex family obligations due to her divorced family and multiple sets of relatives.
  • The battle to have Christmas Eve (8pm–midnight) just with Katie ultimately succeeded, but came with emotional costs—Katie felt guilty and worn out from having to justify her time to her family.
  • Quote:
    • “You fight for something and … it was wonderful. We had a great time. But it’s almost as if Katie had just gone through a war with her family just to get that time. So by the time she got there, it was almost as if, you know, if you fight a battle, a soldier wants to, you know, take a shower, get some sleep …” (Carl, 04:19)
    • Bert adds empathy and humor:
      • “So I’m not quite understanding. You got the hours that you wanted, but you didn’t get the quality time that you wanted.” (Bert, 05:13)
  • The group discusses the importance of setting boundaries and the learning curve in blended or divorced families. Carl is hopeful that establishing this tradition, though hard, is a first step to easier holidays in the future.

• Lighthearted Mickey Mouse Moment:

  • The segment briefly ends with the cast playfully breaking into a Mickey Mouse song—a memorable, silly moment. (07:03)

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2. Family Vacations: The Disney Cruise Experience

[07:10 – 12:01]

• Bert's Disney Cruise Review:
  • Bert gives a glowing review of the Disney cruise’s family-friendly atmosphere and top-notch staff, but is candid about the relentlessness of kid-fueled chaos on a 7-day cruise.
  • He recommends starting with the 3 or 4-day option, especially for parents who might be overwhelmed by a full week surrounded by Disney energy and 2,600 kids.
  • Quotes:
    • “There’s nowhere you can go to get away from Disney on the cruise—which is a good thing if you’re two, but if you’re 42, you’re ready to jump off.” (Bert, 08:23)
    • “We were in a smaller cabin … Think of your dorm room and then cut it in half.” (Bert, 09:17)
    • “We just didn’t want to be those parents that dropped off the kids every single day because it’s supposed to be a family vacation.” (Bert, 11:04)
  • The segment is peppered with relatable humor about parenting exhaustion and the shared pain (and later, fond memory) of big family trips.

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3. Debating the Guys’ Vegas Trip: Who Gets to Go First?

[12:50 – 19:53]

• Carl’s Friend’s Dilemma:
  • Carl’s friend is planning his first “guys’ trip” to Las Vegas, possibly without his wife—despite them never having gone together. He worries she’ll be disappointed not to share the "first" of Vegas with him.
  • The cast discusses Las Vegas’s dual identities: a wild trip with friends vs. a romantic or “wow” experience as a couple.
  • Quotes:
    • “It’s a cool trip if you go with your wife and other couples, but it’s a totally different feel if you’re with your boys.” (Bert, 14:53)
    • Jen provides the decisive argument: “Vegas is a wow experience. You want that first wow to be with her.” (Jen, 19:05)
  • Ultimately, the consensus is to do Vegas as a couple first—so the “firsts” and magical moments can be shared without guilt.

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4. Parenting Dilemmas: Gratitude on Christmas Morning

[20:44 – 31:26]

• Bert’s Parenting Concern:
  • Bert confides his worry about raising “spoiled” kids after watching his son Hayden tear through presents with little appreciation.
  • He questions whether he’s being too hard, or not hard enough, in correcting or teaching gratitude—especially given his own upbringing in a “jacked up, unhealthy environment.”
  • Quote:
    • “There just doesn’t seem to be any real appreciation for the thing … I’m nervous that we’re raising spoiled kids. And again, I don’t know. I’m not really sure where I’m going with this whole thing except to say I just felt empty about it again.” (Bert, 22:14)
  • Jen suggests the utility of “learning moments,” even on Christmas. Callers weigh in with their own strategies:
    • Teach gratitude before the big day, use “we” statements, consider reducing the number of gifts, and expose kids to service and those less fortunate.
    • Caller quote:
      • “We are so hard on him and we have these strict morals that we teach him … if they aren’t (grateful), then you take it away from them and they don’t get anything at all.” (Caller, 25:51)
      • “It’s an age thing. With age, they will become more appreciative.” (Caller, 27:30)
  • The group recognizes the challenge of balancing joy and discipline, and the value of consistency and modeling gratitude throughout the year.

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5. Christmas Surprises, Family Schedules & Lessons Learned

[32:44 – 37:10]

• Caller Stories:
  • One caller shares a story about shifting Christmas Day to accommodate a child’s birthday, only to have the kids deeply upset—leading to a rushed attempt to “bring Santa back.”
    • Quote: “Don’t do it, don’t do it. Don’t mess with Santa’s schedule. Let him come on schedule.” (Caller & Jen, 35:57)
  • Another parental miscalculation: surprising kids with a Disney trip on Christmas Day, only to find that they were disappointed to leave their new toys behind.
    • Quote: “It was a little deflating for the parents who had put together this whole plan … But once they got to Disney it was all good.” (Bert & Jen, 36:49)
  • The consensus: don’t mess with Christmas tradition—kids thrive on it.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Carl describing the emotional cost of “winning” Christmas Eve:
  • “I commend my soldier for going in there and fighting it. We had Christmas Eve together and we exchanged gifts and we had time just with us and our little animals. So it was very nice.” (Carl, 06:05)
• Bert humorously comparing the Disney cruise rooms to college dorms:
  • “Think of your dorm room and then cut it in half.” (Bert, 09:17)
• The group’s laughter over whether to try “shock treatment” or loving guidance with ungrateful kids:
  • “Like, I feel like he almost needs like some shock treatment.” (Bert, 29:14)
• Lighthearted banter about the Bunny Ranch and Vegas “firsts.”
• Jen’s advice on sharing “wow” moments in Vegas with a partner first.
• Unscripted, silly musical outburst:
  • “M I C K E Y M O U S E.” (Jen & Carl, 06:59)
• Several candid admissions by Bert about not knowing how to parent:
  • “My foundation is really kind of… it really isn’t very strong as far as parenting goes … I’m always a little bit timid on parenting … I don’t know what’s right sometimes and what’s wrong.” (Bert, 20:45)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment / Topic | Time | |--------------------------|-------------------| | Carl’s Christmas boundary struggle | 00:46 – 06:57 | | Disney Cruise Experience | 07:10 – 12:01 | | Guy’s Vegas Trip Dilemma & Relationship “Firsts” | 12:50 – 19:53 | | Bert’s Christmas Morning Parenting Issue | 20:44 – 31:26 | | Callers on Christmas Scheduling/Tradition | 32:44 – 37:10 |

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Tone & Style

• Candid, warm, real, and often funny.
• Relatable conversational style; the cast shares personal experiences and vulnerabilities.
• Listeners’ calls amplify the everyday nature of the issues.
• Authentic, sometimes self-deprecating, and always supportive.

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Summary

This classic Bert Show episode is a relatable, funny, and heartfelt exploration of the highs and lows of modern family life—from the complexity of new holiday traditions and marriage “firsts,” to the universal challenge of raising grateful kids. With their trademark blend of entertainment and honesty, the hosts offer laughter, commiseration, and—and a little wisdom—making your morning feel a bit more manageable.

Transcript

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[Bert]

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[Carl]

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[Jen]

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[Bert]

We've planned for the plot twists, so support is always available because a great

[Jen]

trip starts with peace of mind.

[Bert]

The Birch Show.

[Carl]

Well, we didn't have to cancel Christmas in the Carter household, but it certainly was an issue before we went on vacation. We, Katie and I were having issues regarding Christmas because Katie and I have been together four years tomorrow, and. And we have never had a time during Christmas where it was just, you know, myself and Katie, where it was just us exchanging gifts and the whole family knew about it. Because I had mentioned last year, actually, last year being 2008, that Katie and I for Christmas, I kind of left it up to her on how she was going to plan the time for herself and myself. And it ended up that we exchanged gifts, I think, on December 28, because she comes from a divorced family. So late. Yeah, it is. I mean, there's. It wasn't Christmas Eve. It wasn't Christmas Day.

[Bert]

It does take you out of the spirit of things when it's that late, doesn't it?

[Carl]

And I'm.

[Jen]

Yeah.

[Carl]

And I just feel like, well, if we're gonna start our own tradition, then we need to establish when she and I have our own Christmas time. And because, like I said, she comes from a divorced family, which means that she's got, you know, potentially four different. Not only one parent, the other parent, but the other set of grandparents, the other set of grandparents. And so it's just. She's trying, and they're all fortunately local, so she doesn't have to go out of town for it. But my family's out of town, so it's us juggling almost three different trips to go visit family, and then we kind of lose ourselves. Okay. So right before we left, like Bert said, I was in tears even the night before the show because Katie and I had had an argument on the fact that I was trying to fight for some time on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

[Bert]

And ideally, if Katie Jo gave you exactly what you wanted, what would that have been going into Christmas.

[Carl]

Well, you know what? Ideally it would have my family was Christmas Eve ers like we opened gifts on Christmas Eve and did everything Christmas Eve. So I'm fine with Christmas Eve. I'm starting to wonder though if Christmas morning would be nice for us.

[Bert]

That's prime real estate right there.

[Carl]

Christmas morning to wake up together to do, you know, because I've never done that with my family.

[Jen]

So have like breakfast in bed and

[Carl]

have like your coffee and you start Christmas together. But that's not, that's, that's a non designated, that would not be a Melissa designated time because that's a grandparents time. So and that's just been tradition that it's been at the one grandparents home Christmas morning. That's it.

[Bert]

So ideally you want Christmas morning, but that's not going to happen Christmas Eve.

[Carl]

So Christmas Eve was my request and so I said just everybody understand that Christmas Eve is ours. We cannot be interrupted. It was just, it started as casually Christmas Eve to become to where there was a timeframe where Katie had to put 8pm to midnight on Christmas Eve was her request to her family that that was the time that she had with me. Now there was a lot of conversation that went on because it wasn't just a matter of her being able to say, hey, I'm doing Christmas Eve from 8 to 12. Because then there was one family member who had already had dinner planned that night. So that was going to throw them off and then some. It just is almost as if everybody started bringing up what the problems that caused for their families rather than, you know what, that's okay, Katie, why don't you go ahead and have that Because Katie is a people pleaser and I learned that, you know, people pleasing in the family means that she doesn't necessarily stand firm ground with her family.

[Jen]

She doesn't have boundaries for her time.

[Carl]

Correct.

[Jen]

It's about their time.

[Carl]

Correct. So what happened? Well, we did have Christmas Eve. We did have Christmas Eve from 8 until 12. So I got what I wanted. I will say though, in hindsight, I got what I wanted. I got what I wanted.

[Bert]

You have however, eyes on. Right.

[Carl]

However.

[Jen]

Sure.

[Carl]

You fight for something and you know how in your mind something that you think is going to be ideal. It was wonderful. We had a great time. But it's almost as if Katie had just gone through a war with her family just to get that time. So by the time she got there, it was almost as if, you know, if you fight a battle, a soldier wants to, you know, take a Shower, get some sleep, and then be able to rest after that battle's fought. Well, by the time she got to me, Christmas Day hadn't even started yet, you know, with her, you know, Tour de Atlanta of the family. So, yeah, so she was a little tired, a little war torn by the time we got there. So it wasn't, you know, for me, I felt like, well, this is. It's a first step. It's a first step to where we fought for this. We had a good Christmas Eve, it was just the two of us. And hopefully it will be a traditional keep it. And we have to keep it.

[Jen]

You gotta keep that going.

[Bert]

So I'm not quite understanding. You got the hours that you wanted, but you didn't get the quality time that you wanted.

[Carl]

Well, it was good quality time, but it was just. There was this. There was this haze of Katie was still distracted because she felt like she was disappointing other people by being there with me that night. And the whole point was to have the solid quality she and I time.

[Jen]

You want her to anticipate the time with you with some sort of excitement, like bringing all this, like, really great energy, like, oh, I can't wait till 8:00 clock starts. Not like, oh, everything ends at 8:00 clock, and I can sort of flop on the couch with Melissa.

[Carl]

Right. And the thing is, I mean. And so that's what I'm thinking. In hindsight, it was more about her mentally than her physically. And I think that I saw in that moment that what I was asking for was. Yeah, exactly what Jen just said. And it wasn't quite there, but I felt like we're building upon that, that next year she'll know that that's be

[Bert]

a little easier next year easier.

[Carl]

So I'm certainly not. I'm certainly not being unappreciative of the battle we fought and that Katie mainly fought and that I got. But I will say that, yes, and I got a lot of emails from people who deal with this every single year that it is exhausting and it shouldn't be. But I mean, like, Katie right now is sick in bed because I think she wore herself out from stress all day long. And she is so sick, bless her heart, that I feel like once she was able to relax and let her guard down and then it hit sounds okay. So I commend my soldier for going in there and fighting it. We had Christmas Eve together and we exchanged gifts and we had time just with us and our little animals. So it was very nice.

[Jen]

So next year you're going to back it up to seven. You're going to get a little more real estate.

[Bert]

Don't do it. Not next year.

[Jen]

I think you should.

[Carl]

I'm not going to say it on air, but you know what, Jen? Wink, wink.

[Bert]

It's already started. The Birch Show.

[Jen]

M I C K E Y M O U S E. Mickey Mouse.

[Carl]

Donald Duck. Mickey Mouse. Donald Duck.

[Bert]

I can't do it. I'll take the headphones off and I'll

[Advertiser]

walk out of here.

[Jen]

Okay, sorry, Sorry. Everybody hush.

[Bert]

All right, here's the truth, that there is nothing wrong with the Disney cruise. In fact, it is awesome. The staff is fantastic. They cater to kids 24, seven for seven days. You got characters that are running up and down the cruise ship and your 2 year old just stops in his tracks when he sees Mickey and starts screaming at the top of his lungs. My seven year old did two. The shows that they do on board are, I mean, top shelf. Everything about it, the staff is fantastic. They just have it all down. It's like, it's almost like staying at a five star hotel where you just ask for something, even the most random thing. They'll figure out a way to get it done. It is awesome that way.

[Jen]

Amazing.

[Bert]

It's fantastic. So I would recommend it to anybody, but I would recommend the four day

[Jen]

just for your patience level.

[Bert]

Well, the seven days on a cruise ship. Look, there are many parents out there that are better at this than I am. Being around 2,600 kids for seven days wore me thin. I was a. I was not in a good mood the first couple of days. Really?

[Jen]

The first couple of days or the last couple of days?

[Carl]

No.

[Bert]

It's funny because Stacey and I, again, we handle things totally different. When we first got on the ship and there was all, there's all, it's noise everywhere. There are kids screaming, they're cranking Miley Cyrus, every inch of the cruise. And the Jonas Brothers. I mean, every inch of the cruise. And it's not at a kid level. It is over the top throughout the cruise. There's nowhere you can go to get away from Disney on the cruise, which is a good thing if you're two, but if you're 42, you're ready to jump off. So that part of it was, it was just too much. But we first got on the cruise ship and we were in a smaller cabin because we booked late. Normally we would have tried to book something a little bit bigger and something on the water so I could see, so we could all see the ocean and Enjoy a balcony or something like that. Well, we booked late, so we were in the middle of the ship on the second floor in a small room. So think of your dorm room and then cut it in half.

[Jen]

Oh, yeah, Those cruise ships are. I mean, those cabins are teeny tiny. Did you guys have one bed to share? Like a small bed to share you and Stacy, and then two separate ones for the kid? I mean, how do you all fit in one cabin?

[Bert]

Yeah, it was a little bit bigger. It wouldn't be considered a queen size. It was probably what's between a twin and a queen?

[Jen]

A double.

[Bert]

A double. Okay, so it's a double on one side or a full. And then they've got bunk beds for the kids.

[Jen]

Okay.

[Bert]

And then in between that, there's just a sheet for mommy and daddy if they wanted to get un Disney, which, by the way, did not happen.

[Carl]

And did you have windows in the original cabinet?

[Bert]

We did not have windows in the cabin.

[Carl]

We had a windowless cabin, which was

[Bert]

a big one for me. So I'm feeling claustrophobic immediately. So the first couple of days, I just had a real. Then I adjusted to it, and then Stacy, the last couple of days was just ready to jump off at Castaway Cay and swim back to Florida.

[Jen]

She was all excited at first, like, oh, this is great.

[Bert]

And our attitudes completely changed.

[Jen]

Well, that's good. You balance each other out.

[Bert]

We did for the week. We really did. But outside of that, it's a great cruise. It's just sometimes there is too much of a good thing. And 247 of Disney for seven days is really a marathon.

[Carl]

I think that's.

[Jen]

Everybody can see your face right now.

[Caller 1]

I know.

[Carl]

I think it's hilarious that you are wanting to do, like, if we had to leave for Bert's big adventure at the end of this week, you wouldn't go.

[Bert]

I don't think I got it. Where's Bert?

[Carl]

Well, he's. He's had too much dissection.

[Bert]

I'll see you Sunday at the same beard. But I would recommend it. And I don't want to sound like I'm not grateful that we got to take the kids on this great vacation. And the kids, if you ask them, they had the greatest time of their lives. And if you are a parent, and I saw a lot of parents doing this, they've got great daycare, and they've got babysitters and everything. We just didn't want to be those parents that dropped off the kids every single day because it's supposed to be A family vacation. But we did break away a couple of times. But every program they do there is fantastic. It's really worth going to. And the food was great. So it is what it is. I would say start with, you know, the three day. Start small, start small, warm up, warm up.

[Carl]

That's right.

[Bert]

Have a couple of years, then go maybe to the five day. There's a five day and then to a seven day.

[Carl]

That's no difference really to a lot of people who try cruises for the first time. A lot of people don't want to start off a cruise just with a couple for seven days. So imagine 2,600 kids.

[Jen]

And you have to remember too, you can have a reaction to the water and the seasickness thing going on too.

[Bert]

You really got to watch for all that stuff. I think it's probably if you have more than one kid and you're planning on going on the Disney cruise, I think it's a little bit like pregnancy. You have the first one and it's so painful that you swear you're never going to have a second one. But then you wait a couple of years and you forget how painful it is and you try it again and then you realize, okay, this is why I'm really not ever doing it again.

[Advertiser]

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[Bert]

free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details with verbo

[Jen]

care help is always ready before, during

[Carl]

and after your stay.

[Bert]

We've planned for the plot twists, so support is always available because a great

[Jen]

trip starts with peace of mind.

[Bert]

The Birch Show So Carl, you want to make your first trip on out to Vegas?

[Carl]

Oh boy.

[Carl's Friend]

You know, and the thing is, I've never even had a fella's trip. I mean, the times that we normally go out, just me and the guys, we may go to the first we've ever been together. Really? Like Macon or something like that. Maybe Panama City.

[Caller 2]

Yeah.

[Jen]

And you and your wife have three kids, right? So a guy's trip is gonna be hard to come by anyway.

[Carl's Friend]

Exactly.

[Bert]

And you guys been married how long

[Carl's Friend]

now for the last. Going on four.

[Bert]

Three. Three years.

[Carl's Friend]

Yeah.

[Caller 2]

Three years.

[Carl]

Three years.

[Jen]

But you guys have been together how

[Carl's Friend]

long I've been knowing. My wife's 96.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Caller 1]

Okay.

[Carl's Friend]

That's a long time.

[Bert]

You so out of breath. Cause you were looking for headphones.

[Caller 3]

Exactly.

[Bert]

Were you just stressed?

[Carl]

Yeah, we better explain that because how long you ain't been married? Whoa, man.

[Bert]

It's been a marathon, man. It's tiring.

[Carl]

But you know what?

[Carl's Friend]

I have my headphones. Every time I bring them, I end up leaving them in my car.

[Carl]

So I. Oh, you've been running then?

[Carl's Friend]

But no, I got Wendy's. Thanks, Wendy.

[Carl]

That's what I do.

[Carl's Friend]

But yeah.

[Jen]

So.

[Carl's Friend]

All right, so we go. I'm planning on a guys trip to Vegas.

[Bert]

Is this your. Is this the seed of your idea or another one of your fellas?

[Carl's Friend]

This is the seed of me and my guy. Okay. Now it's my. It's my idea to have the guys trip.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Carl's Friend]

In Vegas. But his thing is not really the biggest. The biggest part is me and my wife. We've pretty much. Since I've been knowing her since 96. We've pretty much shared a lot of first timers. Like, first time, a lot of stuff.

[Bert]

Like what?

[Carl's Friend]

I mean, just traveling. Like, first time we went together was Jamaica. She's never been to Jamaica. Just a lot of. My wife was 21 when I met her.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Carl's Friend]

You know, I was 24 or 20, 22, 23, something like that. But it's a lot of first timers on everything, you know, so we've never been. I've never been to Vegas. She's never been to Vegas. And I know. I just know that this may cause. Not an issue, but I know she want to go. She want to go. Go with me first.

[Bert]

So.

[Caller 2]

And.

[Carl's Friend]

And I hear that Vegas is just. Every guy has to go, Bert, you've even told me that.

[Bert]

Yeah, I go to Vegas quite a bit with my guy friends.

[Carl]

I think everybody.

[Bert]

I think every Vegas, it is different. I mean, if you go with a bunch of guys, you really get to be stupid and be 21. Stupid in a way that you can't share that with your wife. Like, it's a cool trip if you go with your wife and other couples, but it's a totally different feel if you're with your boys.

[Jen]

You can do couples Vegas or you can do single Vegas. And it's two completely different trips, both of them awesome, but just totally different.

[Carl's Friend]

Everybody always says one thing about me. I'm not a big gambler, though. What would I do in Vegas that I wouldn't with my wife.

[Bert]

You know, that's the beautiful thing about Vegas. Now. It used to be you could only go to Vegas to gamble, but now there's so much to do, man. There's so many great bars and clubs, and if you want to go see shows, pool parties, it's. Vegas has everything.

[Carl's Friend]

My buddy said the Ranch moved downtown now. Is that true?

[Bert]

The what did?

[Carl's Friend]

The Ranch.

[Jen]

The play. The Bunny Ranch.

[Carl's Friend]

Yeah, the.

[Carl]

Oh, you can't go there.

[Bert]

No. Yeah, that's one place you can't go.

[Carl's Friend]

No, I mean, I just want to kind of just visit, just see what it looks like, you know, you don't. I won't get pulled in. I mean, of course Melissa's looking at me like, no, I'm just looking at you. But I mean, seriously, I've heard a lot about this guy and I just wanted to see, you know.

[Bert]

Well, the Playboy has their own club now. It's on top of one of the hotels. But the Bunny Ranches, that's legalized prostitution.

[Carl's Friend]

So that's totally, just totally different. Okay, so I didn't know that.

[Bert]

Isn't that what it's called? Bunny Ranch?

[Jen]

Yeah, yeah, that's the Bunny Ranch. Yeah, that's.

[Bert]

Yeah, that's. That's legalized. Yeah, those are hookers. You can't do that.

[Carl's Friend]

I thought it was like part of the Playboy Bunny type of Ranch.

[Bert]

Different, different, different. But here's the thing.

[Carl]

You walk in and talk to madam

[Bert]

when you're at the Bunny. When you told Michelle about the idea of going to Vegas, did you say. Did you tell her that it was your idea to get the fellows together and go to Vegas, or did somebody else have the idea?

[Carl's Friend]

Oh, I didn't even bring it. I just said, me and the fellows thinking about going to Vegas.

[Bert]

Okay.

[Carl's Friend]

But the thing that made me wonder if she was going to have a problem with it, because at one point I was planning on going somewhere like my brother's in the West Indies, going to med school, blah, blah, blah. So I wanted to go over there with him. And she. She wanted to go with me because of the first time again, and she didn't want to. She really. She had the issue about me going over there and not bringing her, and she's never been before. And I understand. She just wants to be a part of her experience. She wants to share all these new.

[Jen]

So it's not like a jealousy thing. She's not worried or insecure about what you're going to do there. It's just like, oh, I want to go, too.

[Carl's Friend]

Yeah, and if it happens, then, you know, it'll be. I've been to Vegas, like when I went to D.C. for the inauguration.

[Jen]

Oh, that's right.

[Carl's Friend]

I didn't bring my family with me. So it's still. She's happy for me. And one person had to got to share that. But she still, you know, it still sits right there.

[Bert]

And then when you come home, you can't really share exact great a time you had either, because you know she's gonna be like, I wish I could have been there with you. Right.

[Carl's Friend]

Me and my wife, we real. That's like my running partner. I love going with her. I have no problem taking my wife out wherever, doing whatever. That's my partner. So I can kind of understand how she feels about it.

[Bert]

So it's not so much any of the guys that you're going with or what you might get into in Vegas. It's just the point that she wants to. She doesn't want you to have this unique experience without her first.

[Carl's Friend]

I'm pretty sure that is. But I have one good buddy who's pretty loose. But she knows me. But it really, most of it is just sharing that.

[Carl]

Carl, I love you. That's a sweet, sweet.

[Bert]

I'd say don't take the trip. Really?

[Carl]

Yeah.

[Jen]

Well, would you say go with her first and then go back with the boys on another weekend? Because it's true. I mean, you gotta have had. It's like robbing a first. Because the first trip to Vegas as a couple is going to be awesome.

[Carl]

The reason that I agree with Jen is because you won't be able to enjoy fully your guy trip with a thought in your mind. You know what? I'm hurting my wife's feelings right now. Because if her issue is only to be there with you for the first time, to see it for the first time, and then you go back with your boys, then you can come back and tell her, you know the places you've been and you can have a good time with your guys. And she's not going to be all upset because she thinks something's going on.

[Bert]

You know, I would definitely take the trip with your wife first and go with the gu. You say that you don't want to do it in the other order.

[Carl]

I agree. Because it is two different trips. Vegas is big enough that you will not see everything in one. In one go.

[Carl's Friend]

That's the first I've heard that. Mostly everybody is like, man, do it. Go bounce.

[Bert]

Nah, only because she'll be so bummed that you're Actually there.

[Jen]

And it's. Vegas is a wow experience. You want that first wow to be with her.

[Carl]

Yeah.

[Carl's Friend]

Right.

[Jen]

Because you're going to. I'm just driving down the strip. You're going to be like, whoa, look at that.

[Carl]

Oh, my gosh. There's Paris, there's New York.

[Jen]

New York. Look at that, look at that. Oh, the Bellagio. Like, we saw that in Ocean's Eleven. Like, you know, like there's all these wow moments.

[Carl]

It's an adult moment.

[Jen]

And you're gonna have all those wow moments without her, Stacey. And not be able to share them with her.

[Bert]

Stacy and I have a rule that, you know, when I take those me vacations that I'm allowed to go to places that she doesn't want to go.

[Carl's Friend]

Oh, really?

[Bert]

So she's pretty much like, you can't go to Europe. Cause everywhere in Europe she wants to go. So we can do that together.

[Carl's Friend]

Right.

[Bert]

But she's got. She doesn't really dig South America as much as I do. So she's like, go anywhere you want to go to Europe.

[Carl's Friend]

Listening to Jen kind of changed. Kind of made me have another thought about it because I didn't realize that a woman would be exc. Excited about that type of Vegas.

[Jen]

Oh, it's amazing. The shopping there is ridiculous.

[Bert]

To die for, huh? It's a totally different trip, dude. Do the wife weekend in Vegas first and then do the hangover weekend with your boys. Another weekend. Hey, the Bird show.

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[Bert]

For American players, Spin Quest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. The Bird Show. I had the same sediment this year.

[Carl]

Yes.

[Bert]

On Christmas morning that I had last year. And I think what I'm asking for here, some advice from parents that have children that are like, I don't know, five, six, seven years old. My foundation is really kind of. It's not. It really isn't very strong as far as parenting goes. Because I was raised in such a jacked up, unhealthy environment that I'm always a little bit timid on parenting and making judgments when it comes to family because I was just raised up in such a way A bad family environment that I don't know what's right sometimes and what's wrong. But here's what I do know over the last two years and I, and I don't know if I'm just being too hard or not is that, you know, you wake up on Christmas morning and initially Christmas morning is awesome because Santa came the night before. There is snow still on the carpet from when Santa dropped off the presents. There are all these new presents. The carrots have been eaten by the reindeer and they're all over our living room. The cookies have been half eaten by Santa. That's exciting for my son, Hollis and Hayden too. The milk has been chugged down. Santa did his job, so it's really exciting.

[Jen]

It's magic.

[Bert]

There is nothing better than waking up on Christmas morning with a two year old and a seven year old when Santa has been there and seen their excitement and videoing it. That part of Christmas is fan fantastic.

[Carl]

Here's the same problem this year I

[Bert]

had last year, man, is like the ripping open of the Christmas presents. The I don't care about the cards that come along with the presents. It's spending six seconds with one present and not even appreciating it until you get to the next one and then the words I want or what's next or I wanted this in a different color. I just sat there again and I'm trying to be like, I'm not trying to be the Grinch here, but I guess I'm looking for some appreciation of what the morning was supposed to be about and not just the superficial ripping through everything. And I didn't get it again this year. And I'm wondering if I'm being too hard, if my expectation is set just too high. He's seven years old is who I'm talking about is Hayden. There just doesn't seem to be like any real appreciation for the thing. Like he doesn't. He don't realize that there were a whole bunch of families again this year that had like one present or zero presents. And this is partly my fault and partly my wife's fault that I'm nervous that we're raising spoiled kids. And again, I don't know. I'm not really sure where I'm going with this whole thing except to say I just felt empty about it again. Like I'm excited that he's excited by what he's getting, but there just doesn't seem to be any appreciation of what the day is all about. I don't know that we said the word Jesus three times on Christmas morning. Two times on Christmas morning.

[Jen]

I was just wondering, is there a way to stop along the way and correct him on some of those things? Like, oh, I didn't want it in this color, and to be able to stop and say something like, well, Hayden, somebody got it for you in this color, and you should appreciate that. Is there a way to sort of coach it along the way or you don't feel like because you didn't grow up where there were big Christmases and that kind of thing? Like, you don't feel like you can interject there.

[Bert]

See, this is where I'm totally on a foundation of. I don't know, because I feel like.

[Jen]

I mean, certainly it was a long time ago when I was a kid doing all that stuff, but I would feel like my parents would have, like, interrupted and corrected me on that and stopped me sort of in my tracks there. And I think that's okay for you to do. Even though it's a big, joyous, momentous occasion, there's still learning moments, I think, throughout that. But, I mean, you may have to ask other parents, because I'm sure other parents feel the same way as you do, and you don't want to sort of, like, crush their excitement and their spirit on the day by disciplining them. But I think there's an opportunity for learning in any sort of moment, in any sort of celebrating. And it's not about. It's not about telling your kid that it's that he's a bad kid. It's just directing, you know, and redirecting where he's taken that. It's like, hayden, wait. Let's stop and think about this for a second. This is a really great blue, whatever it is, ipod rather than a green ipod. And, like, you know, you can appreciate it for what it is. And, you know, maybe blue's better than what you originally. I don't know, like, feel like there's a coaching moment in there somewhere.

[Bert]

And I guess I felt like, look, this is a. This is. This is a no Grinch zone right here. Let them do what they're gonna do. And I didn't have any interaction with them as far as that stuff goes. I didn't use it as that moment. But again, I'm so unsure because I wasn't raised in a family that parented properly that I'm not sure. But what I do know is I was raised in a family with a father that was really hard on his children. So I'm always a little bit Sensitive about being too hard. So I don't know. I don't know what the answer is to it. Hey, Rachel. Good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller 1]

Good morning. Well, I feel that you need to be harder. I had the same situation. I have a stepdaughter who is very ungrateful for anything that she gets. And then I have my son who, on his birthday, gave away his new birthday toys to a less fortunate child.

[Bert]

Wow.

[Caller 1]

And the reason is because we are so hard on him and we have these strict morals that we teach him that you have to teach in a daily life to where they can understand that what they're getting, they need to be grateful for. And if they aren't, then you take it away from them and they don't get anything at all.

[Bert]

Do you teach that lesson on Christmas morning?

[Caller 1]

Well, because we have done it through the year. He's five now. He just turned five in November. And because we've taught him this through the years, on Christmas morning, he was grateful for the little things that he did get.

[Bert]

Yeah. And this may be where I'm going wrong throughout the.

[Jen]

Maybe it's wording it, like, as a we thing. Maybe it's like, we don't say those things when we get gifts. What we say is fill in the blank here. You know, like, giving them, like, another. This is not what we do when we get a gift, you know, and we take a moment and we appreciate it, and we thank the person that gave it to us and we enjoy it for a minute. And you know what I'm saying? Like, I think there's a way you can set the tone for that.

[Carl]

Is it just me, or was it the fact that the stepdaughter was the ungrateful one in the.

[Jen]

Of course.

[Carl]

I mean, I see what you're hearing. I see what you're saying, Jim, but I think she just was trying to.

[Bert]

I didn't even pick up on that kid.

[Jen]

Anyway, I don't think she liked the step kid.

[Carl]

Yeah, not at all.

[Jen]

Her son was an angel, of course,

[Carl]

gave away to the less fortunate.

[Bert]

Hey, Jenna. Good morning.

[Caller 1]

Well, first, I just want to say

[Caller 3]

I love you guys. Listen to you every morning.

[Caller 2]

Thank you.

[Caller 3]

And I agree with what Jen said a little bit. As far as, you know, you do need to teach it. And I like the whole idea of saying we, but I think it needs to. To be taught before Christmas. You know, when Santa comes or when you get gifts from other people, you

[Caller 1]

need to appreciate it.

[Caller 3]

I think that's great. But we were all kids at one time. And I think that it's an age thing. With age, they will become more appreciative. My sister is a lot younger than I am. She's seven years younger than I am. And we grew up with the same thing, thinking, oh, gosh, she's so spoiled. She's always complaining in the wrong color, wrong gift. I wanted that one and not this one or why didn't I get them both? And, you know, I think it's an age thing. It's that, you know, everybody at that age is gonna, oh, this is, you know, they get excited, but they want it and they want another color, they want something else. And then we all know that, you know, two days later they love what you gave them anyway.

[Bert]

And at what age do you start teaching the thank you and appreciation? Because, I mean, they get sort of a pass the first three years for sure. Is it at four years you start teaching thank you and stopping and watching everybody else open up their presence. Is that five? Is it six? Seven to me, I don't. It's too, like, I failed. It's just too late at this point.

[Caller 3]

Well, I don't think there's an age on. I think that we know as I have an 8 month old now. And I think that will, you know, watching how my sister was and how you're saying your kids are and everything, I think that you always teach. Thank you. You're welcome. You know, yes, please. Those kind of things. But just like Jen was saying, if you teach ahead of time, even before a birthday, before Christmas, before any kind of a gift thing, we need to be thankful and grateful for everything that we get. And if somebody gets you something, we

[Caller 1]

need to appreciate it.

[Caller 3]

And if you teach it ahead of time and just consistent, consistently teaching them to be grateful for things, then stopping them on Christmas and saying, like the last caller said, I'm going to take all this away from you because you're not appreciative. I don't think they're at an age to really understand that they're being like that.

[Bert]

Like, I feel like he almost needs like some shock treatment. Like, he understands the concept that there are others that don't have what he has on Christmas morning, but he's never seen it.

[Carl]

What about a service project?

[Jen]

Then take him to a shelter.

[Bert]

Do something on Christmas day, like feed the homeless.

[Jen]

Give, I mean, one gift that he gets for Christmas, have him donate one of those.

[Bert]

Then he can see how important it is. Hey, Leslie, good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Caller 1]

Good morning, Bert. How Are you good?

[Bert]

Thank you.

[Caller 2]

Thank you.

[Caller 1]

Great. I was calling to comment because it's funny. I'm actually experiencing the same thing with my younger brother. And my mom and I got into a really heated debate over it this, like, this past Christmas, because, you know, I told her in Christmases, like, in the past, she, you know, doesn't seem to really, you know, like, stop him when he does that. So, like, I explained to her, I was like, you know, it really feels terrible when, you know, I. But, you know, it's even my gift. It's not just the gift that Santa brings. It's my gift that I really feel terrible that my husband and I would go and, you know, spend all this money on these lavish gifts. And, you know, I'm sitting there trying to tell her, like, mom, you know, can you talk to him this year and just kind of tell him, you know, you need to kind of stop at each gift and, you know, make sure that you make a comment about it or. Oh, cool. You know, this is really nice. Or, you know, I'm really excited to play with this one. So this year, what we decided to do is we decided to just give fewer gifts. Like, we gave, like, maybe three. And my mom did have a conversation with him and just kind of said, you know, it really is hurtful when you, you know, don't, I guess, savor the magic of each gift. Like, now he's. Now he's 11, so he kind of is able to understand. But I remember probably for the past three or four years in a row, my mom and I have been really at it. You know, I explained to her how I felt, and she kind of relayed that to my brother.

[Carl]

But, yeah, I mean, I think it is true, Bert, like you said, you know, they don't know appreciation, because appreciation comes from seeing a contrast or something. But one thing I picked up on that we kind of breezed over. So do they all open gifts at the same time?

[Bert]

No, it's. We're sitting around in a circle, and it's Hayden's turn. Then it's. But forget about it, man. I mean, they've got their hands in their own thing. When, like, yeah, when mom's opening up her presents, they already got their hands on their own. It's just like, this big.

[Carl]

That doesn't go away. Because my mother does that. My mother does that. You gotta control it, because Millie Pete. And I'm calling her out. Millie Pete in Nashville, Tennessee, I mean, is already breaking the seal on the tape on the side of her box when she's, there's two other people before her that's gotta open a gift.

[Bert]

Before her, nobody's even paying attention.

[Carl]

And now, see, now that she's 80, she, she can. Oh, senility, you know, like, oh, I'm senile, you know, I don't know what I'm doing. But yeah, you've known what you've done all my life.

[Advertiser]

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[Bert]

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[Caller 1]

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[Carl]

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[Bert]

Spin Quest is a free to play social casino, Boyd. Where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. This is the Bird show. Hey, Jana. Good morning.

[Caller 2]

Hi there.

[Bert]

How are you?

[Caller 1]

I'm okay.

[Caller 2]

Happy New Year.

[Carl]

Happy New Year.

[Bert]

How did things go? How is this received by the rest of the family?

[Caller 2]

It did not go well.

[Bert]

No, no.

[Caller 2]

We went with my husband's plan and we left the note. He took down all the Christmas decorations overnight, left the note from Santa and when the three kids woke up, they all cried. Well, my four year old and my six year old started crying first and then Zachary, the oldest whose birthday it is on Christmas day, he was really excited at first, but then once he saw his siblings start to cry, that

[Bert]

was so he wasn't happy. The siblings weren't happy. Did you guys do, did you do Christmas like on Christmas Eve at the same exact way you would do it on Christmas morning?

[Caller 2]

No, we left a note. You know, the note from Santa said that Christmas will be here tomorrow. So we were planning on doing Christmas the next day, resuming Christmas basically.

[Bert]

So this was Santa's orders. Okay. Just because we do have kids listening right now. Okay. Yeah, I gotcha.

[Caller 2]

So well, Zachary again, the oldest, being so upset, asked for Christmas to come back. And you know, he was really sweet and just, you know, he was kind of said to us, well, he's a little old for Santa, but you know, his brother and sister would really like Santa to visit today. And was there any way we could call Santa and have Santa come on Christmas day? So I packed up the kids and went to my in laws for lunch and they had some presents to open over there which was really nice and explained to them that daddy was going to stay behind and call Santa to come while we were at our grandparents house and tell Santa to deliver Christmas while we were at lunch. So my husband stayed behind and then took Zachary's birthday decorations down and prepared for Santa's visit. And Santa came that afternoon. So after lunch we went back and had Christmas. And Zachary, you know, really was so sweet. And I can't believe, you know, 12 years old, he explained to us that he didn't mind, he didn't mind having a birthday and Christmas on the same day.

[Bert]

I'm more concerned with Santa here than anything else because his day is finally done. I mean, he's gone around the world house to house and he's tremendously relieved. The last, I mean, the last name is crossed off the list and then he gets a call from your husband going, I'm sorry, you got to be back in Atlanta. And he's like, come on, man, I'm already passing. He's like, I'm in the Caribbean, Caribbean Grand Cayman in four hours. And I think it was cool of him to show back up.

[Caller 2]

Me too. Santa really, really went out of his way for a this year that is pretty much.

[Bert]

So at the end of the day, everybody was happy with it. But if you were going to give advice to others, you would say, no,

[Caller 2]

don't do it, don't do it.

[Jen]

Don't mess with Santa's schedule. Let him come on schedule.

[Carl]

If you haven't conceived your child yet, just be sure and try to plan it so that they're not born on Christmas day.

[Jen]

It just means hold off in March when you're ovulating in March.

[Caller 1]

Right.

[Jen]

Isn't it, isn't that it?

[Bert]

I don't endorse that.

[Jen]

I say February or March. Yeah, just hold off one month.

[Bert]

So it all ended up working out in the end of the day, but definitely not the kind of advice you would give to other parents.

[Caller 2]

Exactly.

[Bert]

Okay. Thank you for the.

[Jen]

I had some friends, I know I had some friends of friends over the holidays that tried to do this with their kids. They have three kids in Florida and woke up, did the whole, you know, Santa came, did the Christmas thing, whatever. And they said their big surprise was going to Disney World. So the final present that the kids opened was Mickey Mouse ears. And they said, I all right, kids, the car's already packed. We're going to Disney today. And they thought the kids were gonna go nuts. The kids were like, but wait, we

[Bert]

want to stay here and play with

[Jen]

all of our toys that Santa brought. So it was a little deflating for the parents who had put together this whole plan that was a big thing for the Christmas, but they said once they got to Disney it was all good and the kids forgot about it.

[Bert]

You just don't mess with that. Just that's not a day for surprises.

[Jen]

Yeah, mess up the tradition and didn't really come out the same thing.

[Carl]

Talk about him being a people pleaser from now on.

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[Bert]

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