THIS week's poll question is about Webkinz.

By now, I'm sure most people have heard of these things, but I'm not sure everyone knows how they work. What appear to be cute, cuddly stuffed animals are really a one year restricted access pass into a hugely popular social networking sites for kids.

Using the access code that comes attached to each Webkinz, children enter a world to themselves, where keeping up with the Joneses is the name of the game. In order to gain access to more popular areas, it'll cost you another Webkinz or it's equivalent in electric bills as users earn virtual money playing games and answering quizzes.

As a marketer, I have to give Ganz, the maker of Webkinz, a lot of credit. That it preys on children and leverages many parents' inability to say no to their children makes me a bit nervous.

Marketing to children is tried and true, but as a father, I don't find it very honorable and will probably not be having any Webkinz in my house.

My oldest daughter plays a bit on Club Penguin, another social network aimed at children. It has free and pay services and was purchased by Disney last week for up to $700 million, so if you still don't think there is money in social networks, it's time to smell the Scratch N Sniff.

DAD TALK

* Do you think social networks for kids are a good or bad thing?
* What social networks have you allowed your children to play on?
* How do you feel about the business ethics of marketing subscription-based toys to children?

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JUST in case you haven't heard by now, a massive recall was announced of Mattel and Fisher-Price toys, including Elmo and Dora the Explorer products.

I'm pretty sure just about every home has at least one of these toys, so please check the US Consumer Product Safety Commission website for a complete list of recalled items and explanations.

You can also check the Mattel site to see if you own one of these products and what you should do about it next.

Though this recall mainly concerns toys sold from May 2007 on, please do not hesitate in this matter. The recall concerns lead poisoning, a toxic occurrence which can lead to extreme learning disabilities in children.

Copyright © 2007 by Dadviser All rights reserved.

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IT'S said that early learning and stimulation can account for up to 15% of an infant's potential IQ. One way to increase this number is to find toys designed specifically for infants. One such toy is the I Qube Educational Toy from Baby Smart Start.

If the testimonials have any validity, the I Qube performs very well at keeping your baby's attention and focus. According to the site, it also:

* Reduces your newborn baby's weight loss
* Speeds your baby's growth
* Accelerates your baby's muscle control
* Accelerates your baby's hand-eye coordination
* Develops your baby's curiosity
* Develops your baby's attention span
* Makes your baby more content and secure
* Develops your baby's IQ potential by as much as 30 points

If even one of these points is true, the I Qube is well worth the $5 Baby Smart Start charges. To top it off, shipping is free and is made from recycled and non-toxic materials.

DAD TALK

* How important do you think the first year of your baby's life is to future intelligence?
* What other toys have you found success with for your newborn?
* If you end up buying one, please let us know your thoughts.

KEEPING your custody calendar and records organized has never been easier. There are loads of tools online, but the best one I have tried is the Custody Toolbox.

Featuring a color-coded calendar, a searchable journal, a child info database and an address book with birthday and anniversary reminder, this tool is the Swiss Army Knife of custody calendars.

Try it free for 15 days and see how easy it is to keep your important custody information organized and up-to-date.

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EVERY now and then, we have questions we can't articulate and somehow find the answers anyway. One such time in my life came three years ago, when after a lengthy, life altering breakup, I could no longer see the path I was previously on.

Searching for meaning in my life, I was handed a book by a friend who had recently beat Hodgkin's Disease and created a better life for himself despite the odds. This book, Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires, not only helped save my friend's life, but it changed mine so drastically, some people say it saved mine, as well.

I read about a book a week on average, but none have brought positive transformation into my life so effectively. From the moment I read the very first word, I knew it was going to change my life and open my eyes to a whole new world. A world of conscious creation and of fulfillment.

Within a week of that fateful day, I had made plans to move back to where my daughter lived and to correct the errors of my past. Within a month, I had quit my job, moved back and not only became the father my daughter had been lacking, but fell in love with her two sisters and became their daddy, too. I also tied up loose ends that I had let stigmatize me for many years and took the steps to gain legal rights for my children. Perhaps most importantly, I learned to forgive myself and others for any harm that had ever come my way.

This book is the genesis of all new growth I have experienced since then, and the fountain from which all my writing flows. When times "seem" to get hard, I give it another read and renew my resolve to live life from the conscious creator perspective.

If you feel your life is not heading in the direction of your desires, or you're experiencing emotions like pessimism, frsutration, revenge, fear or insecurity, you owe it to yourself to read this book immediately.

I can't promise it will change your life, because only you can do that. But I can promise it will show you how to change your life and give you the tools you'll need to do so. It also makes a great present for those in our lives who are unhappy or have given up. I know because I was once that person and I've also seen it help some of the closest people in my own life.

Ask and It Is Given. Life is truly that easy if you let it be.