Don't Make Me Come Back There with Dustin & Melissa Nickerson

A Mom's Guide to Sick Days

·58 min·5 clips

Melissa describes the heart-sinking school call and her daughter vomiting on the porch just after being picked up.

The episode opens with hosts Dustin and Melissa Nickerson introducing their podcast, recorded above Public Square Coffee in La Mesa, California. Dustin, a stand-up comedian, and Melissa, an art teacher and co-host, set the stage for discussing Melissa's difficult week. The core narrative begins with Melissa receiving a call from her daughter Claire's school, leading her to pick up Claire who then vomits on their porch shortly after arriving home. This incident triggers a week-long battle with a stomach illness, suspected to be norovirus, affecting multiple family members. Melissa describes the relentless cycle of cleaning, sanitizing, and caring for sick children while trying to prevent further spread, including Dustin staying at a hotel to avoid infection for his comedy gigs. She shares practical advice for parents, such as keeping sick children on tile floors, using bleach for cleanup, and managing the BRAT diet. The conversation explores the emotional weight of parenting during sickness, with Melissa admitting to crying during a mammogram appointment due to accumulated stress. Dustin contrasts this with his experiences on the road, asserting that parenting through illness is more challenging than his comedy career. The hosts read listener emails about parenting stories, including a child's note complaining about being treated meanly and debates over Girl Scout cookies. They also provide recommendations for a family visiting La Mesa and San Diego, highlighting the zoo, Safari Park, and local eateries. The episode concludes with thanks to patrons and a reminder of Dustin's upcoming comedy shows.

As heard by us

A family sick-day recap where a child's comeback runs ahead of his stomach.

Sick days have their own odd timing: a child throws up Thursday night, sleeps through much of Friday, then looks well enough on Saturday to race the mile and 800, eat Chick-fil-A with his dad, and head home before the stomach trouble returns.

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Why you'd press play

You get the sick-day plot twist: Joel feels back enough to race, grab Chick-fil-A with his dad, then go home and puke.

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