Not sure if there's a joke there I didn't get. I think the parent was looking for slightly more insightful advice than "use the defroster".

I've found that cleaning the inside of the windshield helps -- oils/gases from the interior plastics can produce a coating that makes it easier for the windshield to fog up.

Even if you parked outside overnight, 12 minutes to defog seems a bit long for 20F (about -6C). Although unlikely, maybe you want to check if there is water leaking into the interior? That would definitely cause some bad fogging (and problems defogging).

I'm sure lots of people have pointed this out already, but it is not a matter of opinion that you are being very irresponsible by continuing to operate a motor vehicle without knowing something that is required in order for you to get your driver's license. You are not qualified to drive (without knowing how to operate the high beams), simply because operation of high beams is something that is specifically tested for on the road test. Yes, you may have managed to get your driver's license without knowing how (maybe they gave your a warning and noted it on your test results?), but that doesn't mean you should have continued operating a motor vehicle without even knowing how to properly operate it. Actually, if the examiner was responsible, he/she should have guided you or taught you how to operate this very basic piece of vehicle functionality before allowing you to pass.

I might as well add another pet peeve of mine (not directed at you): how the heck do people "accidentally" leave their high beams on? Are they so blind that they cannot see the large blue high beam gauge cluster light right in front of them? If they can't even see it, then it scares me to think about what else they can't see when they're driving. If they somehow "forgot" the meaning of the symbol, then they are simply not qualified to drive - that symbol (along with many other universal indicator symbols) is specifically tested for on the written test, and again on the road test. "Forgetting" things that you were required to know to get your license is not an excuse.