Vault: She tried to exchange Christmas for her son's birthday

Summary

The Bert Show – Vault: She Tried to Exchange Christmas for Her Son's Birthday

Episode Date: June 1, 2026
Guest: Jana

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Bert and the team reconnect with Jana, who previously shared her family's bold attempt to "exchange" Christmas for her son’s birthday—since her oldest, Zachary, has a Christmas Day birthday. The family tried to move the Christmas celebration to December 26th so that Zachary could have a birthday free of holiday competition. Jana shares the aftermath, how her children reacted, and what she learned in the process. The episode discusses family traditions, the emotional weight of holidays, and what happens when well-meant plans go awry.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Experiment: Swapping Christmas Day

• Jana recounts the plan: The family decided to take down all Christmas decorations on Christmas Eve and leave a note from Santa explaining that Christmas would happen the next day. The idea was to give Zachary, turning 12, a birthday all his own.
  • Jana: “We left the note from Santa, and when the three kids woke up, they all cried…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 was it.” (01:14-01:44)

The Immediate Fallout

• Children’s Reactions:
  • The younger kids (ages 4 and 6) reacted with tears, upset that Christmas was “gone.”
  • Zachary tried to be supportive, prioritizing his siblings’ happiness—demonstrating thoughtfulness despite initial excitement.
• Host’s comment: “So he wasn’t happy? The siblings weren’t happy?” (01:44)

Attempting a Fix

• Change of Course:
  • Jana tells the hosts how Zachary asked if it was possible for “Santa to come back today because his brother and sister really wanted Santa to visit.”
  • On Christmas Day, Jana took the kids to her in-laws for lunch while her husband reset the house for Christmas.
  • The family came home to a revived Christmas celebration—later on December 25th—with presents and decorations restored.
  • Jana: "[Zachary]…explained to us that he didn’t mind having a birthday and Christmas on the same day.” (02:52-03:42)

Valuable Takeaways & Advice

• The Big Lesson:
  • Jana would not recommend trying to move Christmas to accommodate a birthday; the emotional weight and family memories tied to holiday traditions are too strong.
  • Jana’s direct advice: “Don’t do it, don’t do it.” (04:16)
  • Co-host’s humorous advice: “Don’t mess with Santa’s schedule. If you haven’t conceived your child yet, just be sure and try to plan it so they’re not born on Christmas Day.” (04:18)
• Host’s Summary: “So it all ended up working out in the end…but definitely not the kind of advice you would give to other parents.” (04:35)

Santa’s “Extra Trip” — A Memorable Moment

• The hosts and co-hosts joke about the logistics of Santa having to make a return stop in Atlanta after finishing his global run, bringing humor to the discussion.
  • Host: “He’s tremendously relieved; the last name is crossed off the list, and then he gets a call from your husband going, ‘I’m sorry, you gotta be back in Atlanta.’” (03:48)
  • Jana: “Santa really, really went out of his way for us this year.” (04:05)

Parental Expectations vs. Kid Reality

• Anecdote from another family: The hosts share a story about friends who, after the kids opened their presents Christmas morning, surprised them with a sudden trip to Disney World—only for the children to initially be underwhelmed and prefer playing with their new toys at home.
  • Co-host: “They thought the kids were going to go nuts. The kids were like—but wait, we want to stay here and play with all of our toys that Santa brought.” (05:07-05:11)
  • Eventually, fun resumed, but it highlighted how change or surprises on Christmas can backfire.

---

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• Jana (on moving Christmas): “Don’t do it, don’t do it.” (04:16)
• Co-host (on family planning): “If you haven’t conceived your child yet…try to plan it so that they’re not born on Christmas Day.” (04:18)
• Host (on calling Santa back): “He gets a call from your husband going, ‘I’m sorry, you gotta be back in Atlanta.’…I think it was cool of him to show back up.” (03:48)
• Jana (on Zachary’s attitude): “…he explained to us that he didn’t mind having a birthday and Christmas on the same day.” (03:42)

---

Key Timestamps

• 01:02 — Jana joins the show for her follow-up.
• 01:14 — Jana describes the emotional reaction of her kids.
• 02:15 — The family’s attempt to salvage the celebrations.
• 03:42 — Zachary’s mature response to the change.
• 04:16 — Jana’s unequivocal advice: “Don’t do it.”
• 05:07 — Funny Disney World story highlighting kids’ attachment to tradition.

---

Episode Takeaways

• Moving Christmas for a birthday, even with the best intentions, can disrupt emotional traditions in ways kids and parents may not expect.
• Children are sensitive to family traditions, and attempts to change them—even for considerate reasons—can backfire.
• Sometimes, the best memories are made by rolling with the day as it comes.
• Humor helps soften parenting mishaps and everyone can learn from an honest family experiment gone awry.

---

Tone:
The episode is lighthearted, self-deprecating, and warm, with the hosts joking, sympathizing, and offering practical takeaways for listeners facing similar holiday conundrums.

Transcript

[Bluff (Host/Announcer)]

Whether it's slots or live dealers, Spinquest.com has the fun and action you're looking for with Spinquest exclusives. Blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and even live dice. With craps and bubble craps, the games never stop so you don't have to. And right now, new users get $30 coin packs for just 10 bucks. Play [e-mail] SpinQuest is a free to

[Commercial Narrator]

play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details. With the new Myloes Pro Rewards American express card, earn 3 points per dollar spent on Lowe's qualifying purchases for the first six months after card account opening. Plus save 5% every day on eligible purchases at Lowe's and earn points on eligible purchases everywhere else. AMEX is accepted. Card members get more at Lowe's, subject to credit approval. 5% can't be combined with any other offer. Exclusions and restrictions apply. Points subject to loyalty terms@lowe's.com terms and credit reward [e-mail] MLPRA terms visit lowe's.com businesscredit this is the Birch Show.

[Host (Interviewer)]

Hey, Jana. Good morning.

[Jana (Guest)]

Hi there.

[Host (Interviewer)]

How are you?

[Jana (Guest)]

I'm okay. Happy New Year.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Happy New Year.

[Host (Interviewer)]

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

[Jana (Guest)]

It did not go well? No, no. You know, 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 was it.

[Host (Interviewer)]

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

[Jana (Guest)]

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.

[Host (Interviewer)]

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

[Jana (Guest)]

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 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 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.

[Host (Interviewer)]

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.

[Co-host/Commentator]

He's probably already.

[Host (Interviewer)]

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 gotta be back in Atlanta. And he's like, come on man, I'm already passing. It's like I'm in Dan the Caribbean, Caribbean Grand Cayman in four hours. And I think it was cool of him to show back up.

[Jana (Guest)]

Me too. Santa really, really went out of his way for us this year.

[Co-host/Commentator]

That is pretty cool.

[Host (Interviewer)]

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

[Jana (Guest)]

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

[Co-host/Commentator]

Don't mess with Santa's schedule. Let him come on schedule. 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. It just means hold off in March when you're ovulating in March.

[Jana (Guest)]

Right.

[Co-host/Commentator]

Isn't it, isn't that it?

[Host (Interviewer)]

I don't endorse that.

[Co-host/Commentator]

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

[Host (Interviewer)]

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.

[Jana (Guest)]

Exactly.

[Host (Interviewer)]

Okay, thank you for the update.

[Co-host/Commentator]

I had some friends, 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, all right kids, the car's already packed, we're going to Disney today. And they thought the kids were going to go nuts. The kids were like, but wait, we

[Bluff (Host/Announcer)]

want to stay here and play with

[Co-host/Commentator]

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.

[Host (Interviewer)]

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

[Co-host/Commentator]

Yeah, mess up the tradition and didn't really come out the same thing. Talk about him being a people pleaser from now on.

[Jana (Guest)]

No.

[Bluff (Host/Announcer)]

Get it.

[Commercial Narrator]

The bird show.

[Bluff (Host/Announcer)]

What's going on everyone? It's bluff here and we're driving through the states in the Bluff Mobile and the best thing that we can do is play our favorite casino style games on Spin Quest. They have over a thousand games including live dealer blackjack and craps. With tons of slots and unlimited options. You can get a 30 coin pack for just $10. For new users sign up today. Go to spinquest.com right now spin Quest

[Commercial Narrator]

is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.