I'm in ur base turning ur lights on....

Just finished "Are Your Lights On?" this weekend. I found an opportunity to try my solution-probleming when I read this forum post.

This individual was attempting to enforce a kind of subversive security to keep their younger sibling on the straight and narrow. As I thought more about the "problem" of solving problematic script logic, it dawned on me that there might be another problem behind it all; do we need to bring the computer in to solve a human problem?

I had originally posted my non-technical questions in my reply, but felt that it might come off a little "preachy". But that won't stop me from placing them here:

...I'd like to ask some questions about your situation ( seriously ):

1. Is the problem your brother's insistence on playing games OR his insistence on not doing his homework?
2. Why is your brother not compelled to do his homework? Is it boredom, frustration, or laziness?
3. Is your brother really NOT doing his homework? For example, is he finishing it when your cousin's are playing or when you're not looking? Or is he being rewarded with play-time for having done his homework earlier?
4. Is there a parental or guardian figure ( other than yourself ) who can enforce sanctions if necessary?
   

I ask because these kind of solutions can become unwieldy. In circumstances where he is allowed to play, you'll have to disarm the script. If he's around when you do this, consider security breached. It also would be pretty unfair for him if you were away when he was allowed to play.

One potential solution is to have your cousin's over more often. They'll definitely accept your invitation to play games and your brother will be "forced" to finish his homework before he can play. No passwords, no tattle-tale scripts.

Sorry this was so long, but I did my share of homework negligence. If I had to monitor a younger sibling like myself, that's what I'd do.