Parents Addicted to Webkinz

[velvetenor]

Hahaha! I also thought Webkinz were childish when I first heard of them - but I thought "How cool for the kids to get a plush AND a game to play on the computer!" So I never disliked them, but I never dreamed that I would be playing them more than my kids do!!

I also usually get my fix at night, after the kids go to bed, but sometimes we all play together - the kids have one account that they share and I have one account. But on days (like today) when I am working from home I can also get on and play a little bit!

My kids have way more webbies than I do, but I definitely play more than they do online. They do LOVE the plushies, though, and they take them everywhere. My son (who you would think might be too old for stuffed animals) brings his manatee EVERYWHERE! My daughter (who is younger) switches her favorite all the time, but is never without one either, these days!

Velvet

[FireBranda]

My son (who you would also was too old for stuffies) tries to bring his all over the place too... but I had to nix that as they got horribly dirty and he would beg me to hand wash them... His duck came home completely black one day! and Mommy had to make it white again... fun fun. LOL

[tink.24]

It is so nice to see so many adults addicted to webkinz. My sisters still tease me because they don't have an account of their own but I call them and let them know what is going on so htey can relay the info to my nieces and nephew. My daughter, a toddler, loves the lil kinz gorilla and monkey and carries them around like her babies.
I am so happy there are more people coming forward with their addictions. It's nice to know we are not alone.
Thank you every one for the nice comments about starting the thread. I love to hear all the stories

[spencer61999]

Okay, I guess I must confess - I, too, have a Webbies problem. My daughter recieved her first when she was five - a pink pony named Rose - and it has been all down-hill since! We have over 25 Webbies now - the BlueJay is the latest - absolutely adorable - and I'm on-line more than she is!

I am also a pusher - I bought two for my teaching buddy at school - for her kids, of course! And, now we send postcards and gifts to each other all the time! Its kinda nice having another grown-up to discuss such important issues with - you know, what are the newest Webbies, what is retiring, POM, trading, etc!

Well, I guess I better get back to real life!

Do we need to set up a 12 step program?

[momtofaye]

Hi fellow Webkinz Addicted Parents ~

My name is momtofaye (faye was my first Webbie) and I love Webkinz. Seriously though, this is all my neighbors fault! On May 31st my dearest neighbor knocked on my door with a devious motive, unbeknownst to me. She innocently handed my DS a very cute little raccoon, matching the one he'd seen at her house, informed me it was a gift and that we would have to register it online. She and one of my other best friends had told me about them for months, but I never got into it. So, like a lamb being led to the slaughter, we blindly went to the computer and proceeded to register "Jamie," the Raccoon onto WW. We had no idea what would become of us over the next several months! Like an astronaut being ****** into a black hole, we became more entrenched in this virtual world known as Webkinz.

A couple of days later, my neighbor, again looking innocent, casually mentions that Limited Too has Webkinz on sale: buy one, get one free. Needless to say, we flew out of the house like we were jet propelled and headed straight to the mall! That was the day we found out about POTM and we bought the elephant and the cow, plus a lil' kinz polar bear that my DS fell in love with. Now, we went to my mom's (lashes) house that weekend (after telling her about this cool new hobby) and she thought they were cute. We showed her the site and all of the games that were so much like other computer games we already loved. It didn't take much to talk her into playing some games to earn kc for my DS at night after I went to bed.

By the next weekend we were back at my mom's and we all decided (like you have any decision making power after you're ****** into the black hole) to check out the closest Limited Too. Now, she collects bears and has for most of her life, and what do you think we saw when we arrived? You got it...that cute lil kinz black bear! That was all it took to pull her into the black hole, without so much as an ounce of fight. That's when she created her account! The rest is, what do we call it, Webkinz History!

Now, between the three of us, we have five accounts (I still share the American account with my DS): two American, one European and two Asian. I will only admit to having "over 80" Webkinz and you can't make me admit how many we really have. Every time we get a new Webbie my DS asks, "Is this one for me, or do I have to share it with you?" Of course, I tell him he has to share, just like any mom would who wants to raise a kid who isn't selfish, right?

At this point I think we're at a stage three addiction...Webbies, Trading Cards and Figurines! We have every figurine from Series 1 and have nearly completed both Series 1 and Series 2 trading card sets (both in real life and online). In fact, a terrific place to get trading cards is off of Ebay ~ you just need to stick to sellers that have been around for awhile and have a high percentage of positive feedback. At this moment (thanks to my mom) we are anxiously awaiting a box of both Series 1 and Series 2 in a desperate attempt to find the last three cards we need to unlock the last couple of prizes and the grand prize!

My addiction has become so bad that I actually have had dreams about Webkinz World. They have infiltrated every aspect of our lives. My DS rotates which ones he takes with him whenever we go anywhere. I've had to put my foot down and limit him to five traveling companions, except when we go visit my mom, in which case he just packs as many as he can into his duffle bag so they can visit all of her Webbies!

Wow, now that I've got that off my chest, I feel sooooooooooooo much better! Thanks for listening to my "story" and I've really enjoyed reading all of yours! So many of you made me laugh so hard that I was grateful to not be drinking anything at the time or it would have been all over my computer. I just want to say, even if they had a 12-step program, I'm sure I would have to be dragged kicking and screaming to attend a meeting because I love playing on WW! Hey, if admitting you have a problem is half the battle, I'm not admitting I have a problem, because I like it too much! It's been a great form of entertainment that the family can share together! We're definitely a Webkinz Family!

[lashes]

Since I am the mother of another addicted adult (momtofaye) and she just posted our story, all I have to say, is it is all true. Just look at my avatar!

[wbknzaddict]

I am loving this "club"! My dear sister-in-law bought Webbies for her sons last summer to give them something to ward off the summer doldrums (we live in the south and many days it is too hot to even go swimming; bad bad heat). But I digress. She thought that my DS would like one also and got one for his birthday. It was awhile before I got us registered and so forth (another long story involving birth and a long NICU stay). Since my DS is a pre-schooler and can't read, I "had" to figure things out. Well, needless to say, I was the one who got hooked!! He likes it, too, but I'm the one playing on WW every day. My DS now has 14 webbies and there would be more if my DH didn't roll his eyes every time he saw a new one. LOL We have trading cards and a mousepad but that's it because I'm trying to practice some sort of self-control here. I have some theories about my "addiction" so maybe someone else can relate. One - I was always the geeky kid who was not in on any trends for multiple reasons. So even now at almost 40, if conversations ever get around to remembering some fad or other, I usually can't relate. Pitiful, I know, to still feel like a social misfit sometimes but what can I say? Two - it has really scored me some "cool points" with the nieces and nephews. Who wouldn't love that? Three - As much as I love being a SAHM, it can get pretty routine. A little fun is good for us mommies. I also like to justify my game time by telling myself that I am honing my math and verbal skills. Four - Lots and lots of grownups are gaming and spending real money doing it. So what if I spend a few dollars a month adding to "our" collection with virtual charms or real trading cards and such; it could be so much worse! Besides, my DS loves loves loves the plushies so we both get something out of it. I, too, have had dreams about webbies; I have a small spiral notebook of name ideas; I have forbidden myself to go into Walgreen's so that I don't start snatching up the W Cares plushies. My DS, my nieces and nephews are all getting the reindeer and santa suit for Christmas mainly because I was the one who couldn't resist. At least I'm not alone!! Webbie Parents Unite!

[twinmom1998]

Originally Posted by Luvmylaurecas

My Webkinz fix, I have to admit, comes late at night and morning. Besides our dear furry webkinz...is anyone else addicted to the trading cards? Man, I can't seem to get enough of those. I love to buy them by the boxes. I collect all of the extras and have loads to trade in the trading room. Even with all of the boxes, I am still missing certain foil cards and virtual cards...plus items from Series 1 gaming room and Series 2 trading card room. I never got any dining room chairs to go with my table. What a shame. Anyhow...I just wanted to see if there were also some of us addicted to the trading cards too...

Trading cards addictions? Yes, I must admit to that too. I would buy the box, sit in my car and open them all so the kids wouldn't see... Sure, I let them have a couple but the majority were for me mwa ha ha ha ha..... I HAD to have all the TC prizes!!! Dang! That was a small fortune! Thankfully Series 3 has cured me of that... no more prizes! Phew! I did buy a couple boxes but since I was able to get most of the stuff I was looking for, I'm content.

Originally Posted by FireBranda

My son is also losing interest but he still wants all the webbies and likes logging them on.... then I "babysit" the account.... all my kids cycle through playing online and I watch their accounts plus my own. They all still love playing with the plushies though.

My DD has pretty much lost interest, but still wants ones like the Hummingbird... and it's soooo adorable!!! I love the PSI too. Looks great in the garden. My son is similar to yours... I have to log them in while he watches, he wants to know what exclusives he gets, etc. but after that I have to do all the babysitting as well. He asked me tonite when he came home from his long weekend with his grandma if I had done his farming for him and was excited to find that I was able to harvest 2 watermelons for him

Originally Posted by tiffsmom

Oh...I've known about them from the begining. My trouble was I thought that it was the dumbest thing I'd ever seen. A money-making gimic!!! I hated them. Then, my daughter won one during a tutoring class. She lost the code, so we had it for almost 6 months before the code turned up and I reluctantly let her log it on. Well, that was all it took! She forced me to get my own because I was spending time on her account, playing games, buying stuff, and decorating. She finally "grounded" me from her account!! Now I have many more Webkins than she does and I get on all the time.

LOL... I too thought they were the dumbest thing. Even though I had collected TONS of beanie babies for the twins before and after they were born. But by the time I found out about webbies, I was in the mode of trying to get RID of the major mountains of stuffed animals that were overtaking my house so I didn't think that spending twice as much for one was worth it... <sigh> if only I had let my DD talk me into it earlier!

Originally Posted by FireBranda

My son (who you would also was too old for stuffies) tries to bring his all over the place too... but I had to nix that as they got horribly dirty and he would beg me to hand wash them... His duck came home completely black one day! and Mommy had to make it white again... fun fun. LOL

My kids bring their Webbies with them everywhere. My son's security object is the OshKosh "My First Bear" that we had gotten 4 of at the baby shower! Those are the rattiest things now... more holes than bear and look like one of those Tim Burton "Nightmare before Christmas" toys! Completely stitched everywhere! We can't tell anymore which ones are pink and which are blue ... But, I'm here to tell you that you do NOT need to hand wash them! We had a minor flood in our apartment and I found one of the plushies a week or so later in the corner of the closet... Into the washing macine it went! Came out just fine. I even put it in the dryer

Originally Posted by spencer61999

...I am also a pusher

LOL... I'm a webbie pusher as well Got my babysitter hooked on 'em

Originally Posted by lashes

Since I am the mother of another addicted adult (momtofaye) and she just posted our story, all I have to say, is it is all true. Just look at my avatar!

Hey lashes and Momtofaye! Welcome to the club! LOL... I'm OLD enough to be a grandma... just got a really late start! So I say NEVER TOO OLD!!! That's my motto and I'm sticking to it

[tiffsmom]

Originally Posted by spencer61999

Okay, I guess I must confess - I, too, have a Webbies problem. My daughter recieved her first when she was five - a pink pony named Rose - and it has been all down-hill since! We have over 25 Webbies now - the BlueJay is the latest - absolutely adorable - and I'm on-line more than she is!

I am also a pusher - I bought two for my teaching buddy at school - for her kids, of course! And, now we send postcards and gifts to each other all the time! Its kinda nice having another grown-up to discuss such important issues with - you know, what are the newest Webbies, what is retiring, POM, trading, etc!

Well, I guess I better get back to real life!

Do we need to set up a 12 step program?

Only if it's a 12 step program to enhance our time on !!!!!!!

[FireBranda]

Wow... what great stories...

I just need to get DH hooked too and then I'll be home free!! No more hiding webbies in the closet, under the bed or in my kids rooms!! My kids know that there's a corner reserved for MY webbies in their rooms... LOL Can we have a 12 step program to hook DHs on WW?? LOL