Webkinz pets are lovable plush pets that each come with a unique Secret Code. With it, you enter Webkinz World where you care for your virtual pet, answer trivia, earn KinzCash, and play the best kids games on the net!

Oh no! The dreaded word that people love to hop on and cause fear in the hearts of parents: "On the net!"

Remember when the Tamagotchi craze was the hot thing to do? Tiny electronic pets that kids had to take care of and pay attention to? And then when absolutely every child just had to own a Beanie Baby because they were just so adorable and "Oh, Mom, I will just die if I don't get another one!" phase? Now, combine the two and you have Webkinz.

Webkinz are not the easiest toys to find. (Think Cabbage Patch kids in the 80's.) However, I found one and was interested in learning more about them. This is what the Webkinz site has to say about their product:

What are all the cool things I can do in Webkinz World?

Where do we start? First, you adopt your pet and name it. Then you can custom design a room for it. You can play games in the Arcade, or compete against other players in tournaments. You can answer quizzes in Quizzy's Question Corner and enter contests, too. All of these things earn you KinzCash, which you can use to go shopping for your pet in our W Shop, where you can buy toys, furniture and clothes. There are stories to read and fun daily activities. The best part is that we add things to Webkinz World frequently, so it's always getting bigger and better.

Living in today's home with several computers for families, children became computer savvy rather early. They are familiar with NickJr games, Disney's Toontown and PBSKids. I feel parents should always be around to monitor them and should never have an instance that would cause concern.

I started to search the net to see what others were saying about these Webkinz. It was then that I stumbled upon an article that nearly made my eyes pop out of my head with frustration. The article entitled "Is the Webkinz Craze Bad for Kids?" spoke of how this craze is not good for our children. I was compelled to learn what hidden horrors lay beneath these cute interactive toys. Apparently the biggest complaint is that it causes children to spend too much time in front of a computer. Say what?

Not everyone, however, is caught up in the craze. In Boston, Wessagussett Primary School recently banned the stuffed animals from the premises. And some parents feel conflicted about the newest toy obsession.

"It's one more thing to distract them from going outside or reading a book," Jody Boches said.

Mother Irene Heifetz said her children sit at the computer from the moment they get home from school until she threatens them with restricted computer access if they don't go do their homework.

I could be missing something here, but if a parent is so concerned about how much time their child is on the computer, turn the computer off. It is not the toy or the website that is a problem. The problem comes if a parent does not have the control enough to tell their child NO. The simple solution to all of this worry is setting limits. If you want your child to go outside and play, send them outside to play. If it is time for your child to do his homework, turn off the computer and tell him or her to do their homework. Are the children or the parents in control here?

Now I know that not all parents want their child online at all. Fine. The simple solution: Don't buy these toys. But to say that they are bad for kids is simply ridiculous. What is bad for kids is not setting boundaries where they learn moderation. In my house there are computer rules. Homework first is one of the non-negotiable rules.Parents and children should eat as a family- no computers in the area. There are set time limits when it comes to the computer. I don't have to threaten my daughter to go outside or get off of the computer or toys. She just knows it is expected of her at an early age.

Another concern raised was the community aspect where you can interact with other people. Now, if this was a free type chat, I see the concern. However, these chats are limited to drop down menus with preset phrases. They are called KinzChat Areas.

When using KinzChat, members select pre-constructed messages from chat menus. Members CANNOT type in their own messages. KinzChat is a very safe way to chat, especially for our younger members. Members do not need permission to visit this area.

There is also a KinzChat PLUS Area. This is for more advanced and older users. To enter the KinzChat PLUS area, members need parental permission. If your child requests access to the KinzChat PLUS area, you will receive an email from webkinz.com requesting your consent.

In the KinzChat PLUS area, members may type their own messages. In order to create a safer and more appropriate environment than an open chat room, KinzChat PLUS limits members to using words in our restricted dictionary. In the restricted dictionary, we have eliminated numbers, most common names; many place names and a variety of inappropriate words. If a member tries to use a word that is not in the dictionary, the word will turn red, and the member will not be able to send the message. Also, if words are misspelled, they cannot be sent with KinzChat PLUS.

I have read the FAQ and I have read the concerns and my personal conclusion is basically that like anything your child does, a parent should be involved enough to know what their child is doing, limit their time online and worry less about what he or she is doing on a safe site like this and more on what they are doing on sites that do not have these kinds of safety nets enabled.

The real danger I see in these pets is the horror the parents must endure if they want to actually purchase one of these for their child. Why horror? Because these little boogers are hard to find! Normally they retail at around $12. I saw one online going for $799. Yes, you did read that correctly.

Launched less than two years ago, Webkinz have quietly grown into a phenomenon similar to Cabbage Patch Kids and Beanie Babies in years past "" the type of toy that a parent will drive across the state to snag, or pay four times the selling price for on a Web site such as eBay.

The demand for these toys has sent parents miles from home and separated them from a good amount of cash to obtain them for their children. That is where I see the craze being a problem. Tell me, how many of you know where your Cabbage Patch doll from the 80's is? If you do know, when was the last time you even looked at it? Point made.

So before we worry about whether or not sites like this one (which is causing many other sites to jump into this virtual playground--Hello Barbie and ClubPenguin) are actually a danger to our children, we should be asking ourself if they are worth the danger to our wallets.