As you have found, resetting it is sort of like putting a piece of black tape over the light. Unfortunately, resetting it might also have the undesirable effect of erasing the history, potentially making diagnosis somewhat more difficult.
You can also read the code(s) yourself by getting a "CarChip" which easily attaches to your OBD-II port and records a lot of what your car is doing (e.g. speed, coolant temp, engine RPM, etc.) every 5 seconds. Then, you can download it all to your PC and, using the included software, see a whole lot of interesting (if useless) information about how you drive.
CarChip is available at stores like AutoZone and, for a lot less money, on eBay. I love the way mine helps me keep tabs on my 170K-mile '97 Ford Crown Vic (and my kids' driving :-).
LOL. What a clever way to keep up with the kids driving habits. The only reliable way I found for this is when my son lacked the funds to pay a ticket for doing 105mph in a 70mph zone. Thanks for the tip. I never cease to be amazed at the knowledge base of freepers.