> The usual scenario is more "You can watch 30 minutes of Disney+ then you need to work on your online homework", but the kid instead watches 2 hours of Disney+, because it's easy to forget the timer when watching Ninjago.

That's a parenting problem though, not a technology problem. Either the kid's homework is getting done or it isn't.

> You can't take the computer away, because schools assign online homework.

Young kids can get access to a computer with an internet connection while you're there watching over them. Older kids can do their homework and the logs will tell you if they were doing other things when they should have been studying.

> So what should you do to help the kid remember to do homework?

That problem has existed long before computers. The oldest solutions still work too, but a lot of it comes down to parents nagging. It's just part of the long and natural process of teaching kids how to manage their time.

> Some people buy a lockable drinks cabinet to keep their underage children out of the liquor supply, which is a solution for alcohol, but schools don't require students to drink.

If schools did require kids to drink alcohol it'd be reasonable for parents to unlock the cabinet while the kids were being watched and to serve them what they need before locking it up again. Same with computers. No student in elementary/middle school needs 24 hour access to the internet to be successful in class.

> The example of sharing was when using a Switch, and one kid is allowed to play M-rated titles, while the other may only play E-rated titles. That is not the same as single shared computer in a public space.

That's a valid concern, and I'm disappointed that Nintendo doesn't provide profiles for their devices, but it's still an easy problem for parents to solve. Kids who aren't old enough to play adult video games don't get unsupervised access to devices with adult video games installed.

No kid is going to die if they don't have 24 hour access to their gameboy. It could even be a great opportunity to give older siblings responsibility by allowing them unrestricted access to the device if they can make sure to keep it out of the hands of the younger ones. I think a lot of older kids in that situation would be concerned about their younger siblings messing with their saves anyway.

> Just because a solution works for you doesn't mean it's an appropriate solution for everyone else.

That's the truth. Parents have to figure out what will work for them, but they can't expect software to do their job for them. What they should expect is that companies aren't making software that makes their job harder, or undermines their efforts.

> Since Windows is user-hostile, can/should we legislate for less hostility?

We agree here. What MS gets away with these days is insane. I have no doubt that they're collecting a ton of our children's data. I think government regulation and software both have roles to play in protecting kids, and helping parents raise them, but none of that should come at the cost of freedom/privacy for adults. Anything that would mean that adults are restricted from accessing content they want, or that forces them to hand over their personal data to prove their age and identity in order get that access goes too far. Generally, I suspect that we'll all be a lot better off if parents spent more time teaching children how to behave rather than looking for ways to never give them the option or opportunity to misbehave. We should be careful about over-reliance on technological and legislative solutions intended to replace parenting.