It was a six month standoff. My wife on one side my two children and I on the other. Typically my wife claims victory, but this time, this one time the troops got what they wanted. We got a dog.

We adopted a mutt, from the Humane Society. Before we committed to a life-long obligation we had the family discussions about responsibilities. “Yes, I swear dad, I’ll do it” is the answer I got from the two minors for every thing I threw at them. And although the children were on my side, I had major doubts that they would actually care for the dog. Eight months later I am proud to report my son walks our dog twice a day (when prodded) and my daughter makes sure the dog’s water bowl and food bowl are full (when reminded). My children actually share in caring for the family pet. So when my kids asked if they can adopt a virtual pet from Webkinz, it was hard to say no.

My wife and I set ground rules about when they can visit their Webkinz pets, the amount of time they can spend on Webkinz World and after checking out the website’s content and safety, we gave our approval. We particularly like the Frequently Asked Questions page. The company states that “your child learns how to save and spend money” and “Webkinz World also helps to teach children about responsibility, caring for a pet, and getting along with others.”

After registering and teaching the kids about the importance of keeping a password secret, a tiger and a kitten were adopted. Silly names were given. And two children were happy. My kids would routinely show off their pet’s virtual house, the items they bought, and the amount of money they earned and saved for the proper caring of their new friends.

If you are familiar with Webkinz you are aware that your Webkinz pet has a meter that shows how hungry, happy and healthy your pet is. If your pet is sick, the meter shows a low number like 20. If it is healthy its number should be 80 and up. After a couple of months, I noticed my son’s tiger was showing signs of death at a meter reading of 10.

We took the tiger to the virtual doctor and found out our pet had a fever, probably from a lack of sleep and healthy food. My son managed to earn a great deal of money and saved most all of it. I reminded my son that he has a responsibility to care for his virtual pet. He must feed it well, tend to its needs and health and start spending some of that money wisely on items to make his pet virtually happy. This is, after all, his responsibility.

“Dad”, he said, “seriously, it’s not real. It’s just a computer game.”

Okay, one for the kid. Dad learns a lesson that even young children know that nothing can substitute for the real thing. This holiday season, my kids will not learn about shopping for gifts, online safety, nor fiscal responsibility from Webkinz World.

They will hopefully learn these and many other lessons from sitting with Mom and Dad while we shop for holiday gifts together online. They will see how to compare prices and care for hard earned money by watching us be responsible. And in the evening, after we feed our children a healthy dinner, make sure their bodies are bathed, teeth are brushed, and stories are read, my wife and I will put our children to bed and kiss them good night. We will know they are well fed, healthy, and happy and my daughter and son will know that in this world, that’s what really counts.

Bio - Seth "Bugmaster" Prezant is the president of Wacky Wild Science. His education company provides in-school, in-camp, and after-care science presentations in addition to birthday parties for both boys and girls. The Bugmaster can be reached at 954-562-6803 or www.WackyWild.com.