Household Guidelines and Rules 2.0

Household guidelines:


Ongoing Punishments: When a kid is grounded, they are expected to try to comply with it. When, at any point that there is not a top online, a character lights off for parts unknown, that is an indication of an incorrigible character. One that will end up in boarding school, without home visits for the holidays. This doesn’t mean it is impossible to get in more trouble, but frankly, continuing to toss dirt over your shoulder when you have dug a grave halfway to china is just stupid. Also, If something has been a problem for your character, such as eating right, and one of your guardians takes note of it and, for instance, makes you sit down to eat breakfast every day, the one day that person is not on is NOT an excuse to say it did not happen. There are flexible times, true, but fighting the same battle over and over again is, frankly, boring for the adult’s player in many cases. Talk it over player to player if you have some scheme to mix things up, but otherwise one can assume that the action is ongoing and daily.
but otherwise one can assume that the action is ongoing and daily.


Phones: All of the kids are provided with cell phones on the house account. Younger or more immature kids are restricted in the numbers their phones will dial. Teenagers and above are provided with a smart phone upon coming to the house and little kids are given firefly phones, phones meant for those who are 10 and under. Kids of all ages are expected to have their cell phones on them at all times, though they are to be off during school hours. The bills are checked for time of calls and text messages. James are on a certain plan so that the cell phones' owned by people of the Faust House have an unlimited plan. All cell phones carry a GPS.

Within the house and garden area the phones are connected by wifi providing everyone with free calls and texts which are not taken out of a limit. Younger kids phones are programmed to have this ability turned off at bedtime.


School: Everyone is expected to perform to the best of their ability. Taking an easy schedule to get easy A’s is not acceptable, nor is anything under a C (roughly 75%). If a kid is having trouble, they are expected to ask for help. The adults will move heaven and earth to find the right tutor or program to help a struggling student, because the fact of the matter is, they would much rather hand out prize money for straight A’s than spankings for D’s. That's right, there is both a carrot and a stick in this approach, and 5 A’s and a D means money AND a spanking (Please only use this for one of your characters. The rest can be done off-screen). Speaking of school related spankings; students can expect the unpleasant attention of a teacher if homework is incomplete, unless there is a signed note. And elementary school students have books listing all their homework for the day and week that must be signed after their homework is finished. Homework is done BEFORE TV time. That is what TiVo is for. Incidentally, trouble at school means trouble at home. Maybe grounding, maybe spanking, maybe even both. This applies to detentions as well as spankings.


Spanking privileges: These are NOT automatic. A teen has to both show the responsibility to be trusted with keeping the younger kids in line, and be willing to do it. As this is an extra responsibility, there is a substantial increase in one's allowance owing to the increased responsibility. This is generally enough to handle paying for gas and car insurance, with some additional left over. Or in the case of younger or careless teens, if carefully saved can be a way to make sure one has the money to buy your first car. Not a new one, mind you, or even vaguely new, but reliable, and most importantly… YOURS! This is not to say that gross stupidity can't lose you driving privileges anyway, but it comes down to the question: what is worse, dealing with the brats, or trying to find a job outside the home. Abusing ones spanking privileges is a serious matter, however. The reason to spank is to teach a lesson, not to get your mad out. The lesson may be: “don't be such an annoying little brat” but if you are angry, send them to the corner for a while you calm down. Spanking privileges are just that, a privilege, and one that can be revoked if necessary. We understand that nobody's perfect and one mistake won't lose one the position of trust you have earned, but when your conduct is discussed with you, you had better show some improvement if you want to keep earning the extra money. Another important note is the awkwardness that can occur when 2 kids close in age end up spanking each other. So if the spankee is within 2 years of the spanker. They DO have the right to refuse and have it taken up with one of the household guardians. Many do not take this option, as it usually means a harder spanking, but the option is there.


Chores: Kids are at least expected to keep a clean room. As they get older, more gets added on a rotating basis, such that they can usually be done by a character whose player is not on at the moment, but there are lawns to be mowed, dishes to be washed, laundry to do, etc. Please try to be patient with any little ‘helpers.’ We all know how sometimes the help of a kid can double the length of time things take. Note I said ‘Try.’ It is not required you succeed in tolerating pesky little brothers whose purpose in life is to annoy you. Chores will also include on-the-ranch ones, such as feeding chickens and the other animals, cleaning up after them, and etc.


Computers: There are 2 computer rooms, with multiple stations each. One room is for gaming, the other for working and research. The working and research room has its own room - the naughty room. Each child has their own log in, and none of the kids have administrator privileges. Logging on as someone else is strictly forbidden. As is hacking the rather basic level of parental content controls. I say basic, because the real monitoring is rather expertly hidden. You see, comp sci people start somewhere and after they can sit again, the little would be hacker may very well find that his or her parents are quite supportive of their interest in the guts of programming. Of course, at that point far more complicated parental controls are put on their account, but you can't have everything.

Also, laptops are a privilege and can be taken away, even if you save up for it yourself. This policy is quite up front so, no accusations of bait and switch later. If you came here with one, you will trusted at first, but understand that it can be taken away.

All computers have their BIOS password protected and are set up to allow network booting only (no boot disks will work kiddies)There is some custom coded security software on each PC that will lock the PC out and record the time it got locked if the BIOS password is entered incorrectly three times. This requires a network administrator to unlock them. Incorrect password entries when logging onto the network are also logged with timestamps, while the computer's web cam takes a snapshot and forwards it to the adults. The timestamps allows for the perpetrator to be seen on the CCTV system in case the web cam does not get a good image. (NOTE: For technophobes or non-tech savvy persons, BIOS is an options menu in a PC where you can select options like what to boot up with - eg CD Rom, hard drive, floppy drive etc.)

As children do not have administrator rights they cannot install any software they want without asking an adult. This includes games. Always be sure to check a game your character is going to be playing is allowed.

Bullying: Is absolutely not tolerated by any actual character. However, if someone is the victim of bullying the adults of the household will do all they can to help the kid gain the confidence and skills necessary to not be a victim. This is felt to be a better and longer term solution to the problem.


General behavior: Please and thank you are important, and often overlooked parts of socialization. So is the ability to use strange words like ‘sir’ and ‘ma’am.’ We aren't psychos about it, but adults are to be addressed with respect. Disrespect is a sign of a bad attitude, and we all know how attitudes get adjusted. Also, a few basics were once considered to be common sense, but the adults know better by now. No fighting, at least without a damn good reason. No drawing on the walls. Try to use inside voices inside. No running in the house. No playing ball or rough games in the house. No swearing and ABSOLUTELY no lying. Do not hack the computer network.

Tattoos and piercings: Piercings are legal without parental consent at the age of sixteen and tattoos, eighteen. If you want a piercing and are not sixteen, you must ask James. Not Jack. Not Jeanette. If you are sixteen and want a tattoo, you must ask James and get it approved.