Covid-19 Night In.

[Pe@nut]

Chapter One - Lockdown Three

2021 in West Yorkshire, England Sally and her daughter Chole and son Oliver are enjoying a night in.   This is the third lockdown in the Covid-19 saga after the government had struggled to get it under control.  The announcement was that they had decided to do a full lockdown for a year essentially meaning that if you are not in the emergency services you should stay at home.  Food stores remained open as long as you adhere to the rules, but life would be difficult for twelve months.

Sally was aware that her children had not managed to have a night out since the start of 2020 and thought it would be nice to have a few drinks as it was New Year ’s Day 2021.  She felt it was criminal that her kids were missing out on a social life and was worried it could damage them in the future.  Chloe was twenty and Oliver eighteen and a half.  They were conceived so close together as their dad Ben, was diagnosed with a terminal illness and sadly died not long after Oliver’s first birthday.

Ben was a reasonably wealthy man and left enough money that his wife could quit her job and bring their children up; subsequent insurance pay-outs further softened the blow.  Sally never got over Bens death and they only relationship she had, had since was with a woman but it was short lived and she put all her attention into her children who she adored.

Sally’s mother was still alive but her dad and both of parents had died over eighteen months between 2016-2017.  She had a close group of friends who she had missed over the last year, so this night meant a lot to her too.

They started watching comedy films and when the wine and gin was flowing, they put some music on and had a nice chat.  Sally told the kids tales about their father and what kind of person he was and the kids asked questions about their childhood.

Chloe was especially interested as to what it was like having two young babies and a sick husband to deal with.  Sally explained that the first three years were both the happiest and saddest years of her life but that she is happy Ben had, had time to meet them and watch their first years.  He himself had, had a tough upbringing and wanted a more open childhood for his children.  He wanted them to be guided rather than told, he thought it better for the children to make important decisions and the parents support and guide them to make sure that this was the right thing.  Sally had agreed with that and hoped she had done a good job.

“You have done amazing mum” Oliver said “We had a great childhood” He looked to his sister.

“Yeah, I hate that we never got our time with dad but you were great at both jobs and you guided us well… ……………… …… I’ve always wondered though?!............. ….. Nah it doesn’t matter”

Sally smiled “come on Chloe you know the family rule, if you have something to say.  Say it”

“Go on sis its time” Oliver pushed.

“I was just wondering about the potty training, I mean you said that you and dad wanted us to make the decisions…………. ……………… did we make that one?!”

[Pe@nut]

Let me know if its worth continuing.  Im actually going to try and finish a story for once.

[babynicole]

great start! would love to hear more

[Guilend]

I like it too

[Pe@nut]

Chapter Two – Truth Will Out

Sally looked at both of her kids who were both staring back at her.  “What do you mean?”

Chloe continued as the cat had obviously got Oliver’s tongue “Who decided it was time that we were taken out of nappies?”

“Erm” Sally continued “Well, mine I suppose.  You were both quite late and I trained you because you were due at school, obviously eighteen months apart.  You both took exactly the same time to train.  Identical in fact.  Why the question?”

“No reason it’s just something you never ask isn’t it so we were both interested that’s all, in fact we had a conversation a year ago about this.  Why is it mandatory to potty train your children? Is it really the worst thing in the world if you go through life not learning.”

Oliver finally spoke up “I have always found toilets or more so public toilets very hard to go in.  They are so unhygienic and when you think about it a bit weird, I mean I stand at a urinal on a night out with maybe five other blokes with all our willies out peeing in front of each other.  It’s odd really and that’s before you get to the cubicles!!”

Sally laughed, her children were quite often bringing odd subjects like this and she loved the way they look at life.  She went to the kitchen to get some more wine as her kids were continuing this deep philosophical discussion.  They both paused as their mum slipped back into the discussion.

“I think the problem is that most nurseries and schools will not accept children if they are not potty trained, I guess it’s a lot to ask to have a classroom of twenty or thirty children who would need changing.  Also you would need to think that if we never potty trained anybody from day one, there would be a hell of a lot of nappies in landfill to deal with.”

Chloe and Oliver were deep in thought as they hadn’t thought of this take on the subject; Sally was having all sorts of thoughts and continued.

“Of course you have the issues of you children reaching puberty also; at what point do they want you to stop changing them, would you have to teach them to change themselves.  What happens when they become sexually active?  I mean say this hypothetical scenario was just me not potty training you two.  If Chloe started dating in high school, how would any potential boyfriend feel about you using a nappy for its desired use?  If you have zero control without being too graphic it could be embarrassing.”

Oliver giving an answer to that part at least spoke up “Well there’s nothing to say that you have no control, it’s just that you use a nappy rather than a toilet!”

Sally pondered this reply “I can’t imagine there would be a big uptake in people choosing to go this route rather than the route we currently have, there are too many problems that would arise from it”

“God mum it was just a question” Chloe laughed as her mum was clearly thinking hard about the subject.

“Ok then clever clogs, let me ask you both this.  Do you wish that I had never potty trained you and given you a choice to stay in nappies”