Vault: The listener reactions hit her friend hard, and she's ready to change.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bert Show

Episode: Vault: The listener reactions hit her friend hard, and she's ready to change.
Date: May 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode revolves around a controversial and emotional listener story: Alice, a single mom, admitted on air to leaving her baby home alone at night, relying on a phone as a baby monitor while running errands. The ensuing listener backlash, coupled with intervention from her best friend Marilyn, caused Alice to reconsider her actions. The episode follows up on the situation, explores parental anxieties, and highlights the power of community feedback and friendship in prompting real-life change.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Alice’s Admission and Listener Outrage (00:32 - 01:19)

• Alice’s Routine:
  Alice, a single working mom, explains how she puts her child to sleep and then leaves the baby home alone to run errands, monitoring via phone:
  "I get her to bed by like 8:30. I call my home phone. He's in my cell, and I put the phone in her crib. And once I know she's down and out, I run out and I do errands." (Alice, 00:32-00:53)
• Listener Reaction:
  The hosts and callers express shock and anger at Alice’s approach.

  "People were pissed." (Jeff, 01:00)

Best Friend’s Intervention & Emotional Response (01:19 - 02:13)

• Marilyn’s Concern:
  Marilyn, Alice’s best friend, was initially furious and considered ending the friendship but was glad the show—and community responses—made an impact.
  • Emotional Impact: Alice called Marilyn in tears after hearing the feedback, realizing the severity of her actions.

  "She was in tears, really, that she was never gonna do that again. And she felt like she was an awful mother..." (Marilyn, 01:27-01:47)

  • Tough Love:

    "I gave her the tough love. I was like, look, you have been an awful mother, but if you're changing your ways, then that's a good sign." (Marilyn, 01:47-01:54)

  • Forgiveness & Accountability:

    "If that's the whole reason that we're friends again, I'm gonna be keeping my eyes out on it." (Marilyn, 01:58-02:13)

The Nature of Parental Mistakes & Society’s Role (02:13 - 03:19)

• Surprise at Seriousness:
  The hosts reflect on the disconnect between how casually Alice initially described her actions and how serious the consequences could be.

  "Thought she was kidding at first. Like, that just is so incredibly irresponsible. I was furious." (Jeff, 02:18-02:24)

• Community Effect:
  Ultimately, community input led to a positive change and the mending of a friendship.

  "A caller to our show took the advice of the listeners...and the second thing, it ended with a renewed friendship." (Marilyn, 03:33-03:45)

Parental Anxiety Stories from Listeners (03:50 - 05:21)

• Jennifer’s Story:
  Another caller, Jennifer, shares her own scary story: despite being a self-described "paranoid mom," her child unexpectedly left the house while under her and her husband's care.

  "My baby got out of her crib, went downstairs to look for us...went outside. I didn't even know she was gone...The meter man brought her back to me. I thought I was going to have a coronary." (Jennifer, 03:52-04:32)

• Universal Parenting Fears:
  Jennifer and the hosts acknowledge that even vigilant parents can't foresee every possible danger—a sentiment meant to balance judgment with empathy.

  "You can't have your eyes on your kids all the time, that's for sure." (Jack, 04:49-04:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "People were pissed."
  Jeff (01:00)
• "If you're changing your ways, then that's a good sign."
  Marilyn (01:54)
• "Even five minutes away can be forever away."
  Jeff (02:32)
• "Do you feel dirty, Jeff, when we do something good?"
  Listener/Caller (03:27)
• "My baby got out of her crib, went downstairs to look for us...The meter man brought her back..."
  Jennifer (03:52-04:32)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:32: Alice describes her nightly routine
• 01:00: Immediate negative listener reactions
• 01:27: Marilyn describes the emotional aftermath for Alice
• 01:54: Marilyn expresses tough love and relief at Alice's commitment to change
• 02:18: Hosts reflect on the seriousness and disbelief
• 03:33: Hosts and Marilyn find satisfaction in the positive community impact
• 03:52: Jennifer shares her own parenting scare
• 04:49: Reflection on the impossibility of constant vigilance as a parent

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Tone and Host Dynamics

The episode balances a serious subject—child safety and parental responsibility—with the show’s trademark humor, banter, and warmth. The hosts maintain empathy for both Alice and listeners, while not shying away from the need for accountability and community involvement.

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Conclusion

This episode is a testament to the impact of listener feedback, the complexity of parenting, and the importance of supportive—but honest—friendships. It underscores that while parental mistakes happen, open dialogue and accountability can lead to genuine change and healing.

Transcript

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[Jeff]

Get it?

[Jack]

The bird show.

[Alice]

Yeah, I'm a single mom and I work during the day. And so I try to get things done when she's asleep. What I do is after I put her down to sleep, I get her to bed by like 8:30. I call my home phone. He's in my cell, and I put the phone in her crib. And once I know she's down and out, I run out and I do errands.

[Jeff]

People were pissed.

[Marilyn]

Well, at least the first handful were. And then people started to call it and like, well, I do it sometimes.

[Jack]

I do. In fact, we had an officer call up say that she was coming up today to start doing the research. And we're gonna try to find out where this woman lived and everything.

[Listener/Caller]

Had somebody from DFAX who said that she would investigate her if she knew who she was.

[Jack]

Well, Alice was initially talked. The best friend is Marilyn. And Marilyn must have been listening this morning because she's on the phone now. Hey, Marilyn.

[Jennifer]

Hey.

[Jeff]

I want to thank you guys so much because, I mean, you know, Alice told you that, like, I was so upset over this that, like, I was ready to end the friendship. But after talking to you and hearing from your listeners, she called me and she was a mess. She was in tears, really, that she was never gonna do that again. And she felt like she was an awful mother. And I mean, I gave her the tough love. I was like, look, you have been an awful mother, but if you're changing your ways, then that's a good sign.

[Listener/Caller]

Oh, that's awesome.

[Jeff]

Great.

[Marilyn]

Do you believe her?

[Jeff]

I do believe her because she was so. She was like, beyond upset. Beyond upset. And there's no way she's not gonna keep her word on this one, especially. I mean, if that's the whole reason that we're friends again, I'm gonna be keeping my eyes out on it.

[Jack]

When she told you initially she was doing this, you must have been shocked. Like, my friend's not capable of being this bad a parent.

[Jeff]

Thought she was kidding at first. Like, that just is so incredibly irresponsible. I was furious.

[Jennifer]

And she just seemed so casual about

[Jeff]

it, you know, like, oh, you know,

[Marilyn]

I mean, yeah, we heard.

[Jennifer]

It's like A baby monitor.

[Jeff]

But she's like, forever away. I mean, even five minutes away can be forever away.

[Jack]

You know, it really is like a punchline. It would be like something Jeff would say, like make a suggestion he would do if he was babysitting somebody. We'd all laugh about it. Oh, that's so ridiculous. Wow. Okay. Well, that's good.

[Jeff]

Great.

[Listener/Caller]

So your friendship's back in intact and her baby is safe. And so a happy ending.

[Jennifer]

Yeah.

[Marilyn]

Something will go wrong.

[Jeff]

I want to thank you so much for that. Until the next time she needs to

[Listener/Caller]

go to Target, and she's going to

[Jack]

be like, well, no, don't say that. Don't say that.

[Jeff]

Yeah, I told her, look, you got to go to Target during the day and, you know, bring the kid with you. That's what parents do. Right?

[Jennifer]

And that's still spending quality time. I mean, you're still with your daughter, one on one.

[Listener/Caller]

Just shopping.

[Jack]

Baby doesn't know. So long as she's with mom, she doesn't care.

[Alice]

Exactly.

[Jack]

All right, Marilyn, thank you for the update.

[Jennifer]

Thank you.

[Jack]

Appreciate it. Yeah, I mean, we could take it.

[Marilyn]

Did we actually do something good?

[Jack]

It would appear so. And it feels like I just don't know what to do with it.

[Listener/Caller]

Do you. Do you feel dirty, Jeff, when we do something good?

[Jeff]

This isn't sitting well with me, Jack.

[Listener/Caller]

Jeff has to go take a shower.

[Marilyn]

So. Wait a minute. Two things happened. One, a caller to our show took the advice of the listeners who were.

[Listener/Caller]

Yes.

[Marilyn]

Okay. So that was the first thing. And the second thing, it ended with a good, renewed friendship.

[Listener/Caller]

Yeah.

[Jack]

Weird.

[Jeff]

Yeah.

[Listener/Caller]

Do you need to. Do you need to go home?

[Marilyn]

I'm gonna go see the regular guys.

[Jack]

Hey, Jennifer, good Morning. You're on Q100.

[Jennifer]

Hey. Hi. I'm so glad she's changed her mind and decided not to leave her baby at home. That was crazy. Actually, my daughter was sick and she was in daycare, so I had to stay home and work one day. And I put her down for her nap, and I was working in my office, and my husband was working in his office. We were both home upstairs. My baby got out of her crib, went downstairs to look for us because she didn't hear us in our home offices. Went downstairs, went outside. I didn't even know she was gone.

[Jack]

Right.

[Jennifer]

The doorbell rang and it was the water man. The meter man brought her back to me. I thought I was going to have a coronary.

[Jack]

Yeah, you hear stories like this from time to time. And, you know, as a non, I'm

[Jennifer]

the most paranoid mom there is on the planet.

[Listener/Caller]

And at least that was a nice meter.

[Jennifer]

Man, my kids like a hawk. I'm like, no, you can't have that. You're going to choke. No, you can't do that. So, I mean, it happens to the best of people. And even, I mean, what she was

[Jack]

doing was stupid, but, yeah, you just can't. You can't have your eyes on your kids all the time, that's for sure.

[Jennifer]

No, you can't. But, I mean, when the waterman brought her up to the do, he was knocking on the door. I'm like, who's knocking on the door? He's gonna wake up. And my daughter. And then I went to the door, and he had my daughter in his arms, and I almost fainted.

[Jack]

I bet you almost threw up.

[Jennifer]

I paid for his dinner. I sent him a gift certificate. I wrote a really nice letter to the water company, but you just never know. You have to be careful even when your children are sleeping. Of course, my husband had left the screen door open downstairs, and that's how she got out, but.

[Jack]

All right, you don't get over that. You don't get over that anytime soon. Hey, the bird show.