The parents at my son's school recently received an email stating that we should start thinking about whether or not we want our kids to receive the swine flu vaccine once it becomes available, which they hope will be in the next few weeks. Many parents I talked to are still undecided. Others are adamant that they don't want their kids to get the vaccine, and still others are anxiously waiting for the vaccine to become available.

If you are a parent who is still undecided or has questions and concerns about the new H1N1 flu vaccine, you are not alone. A recent Associated Press survey found that more than one third of parents said they probably won't let their kids get the swine flu vaccine.

While it's important to keep things in perspective and not panic -- officials say that so far, the H1N1 virus doesn't seem to be more dangerous than other strains of influenza -- the fact is that children seem particularly vulnerable to the H1N1 virus. Swine flu has killed as many as 86 children this flu season, 43 of them in September and October alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

To put those numbers in perspective, the CDC says that in previous winters, only 40 or 50 children died each year during the entire flu season. Another sobering stat: As many as one-third of kids who died from swine flu had no underlying medical conditions. As with the seasonal flu, swine flu symptoms can sometimes progress so quickly that it can be too late by the time you get your child to a doctor.

So if you are a parent who's still confused, read about the questions parents have about the swine flu vaccine and get the facts. And while there's no need to panic, do take the potential danger of swine flu seriously.

Recently, my brother and his wife brought their adorable new baby to visit. I nearly canceled the planned visit a few days before they were due to arrive because -- wouldn't you know it -- I felt a cold coming on. Miraculously, my nose-blowing and sore throat faded in just two days, right before my brother and sister-in-law's visit.

Just to be extra-cautious, though, we wiped down everything before their arrival. We went way beyond the usual scrubbing of the kitchen and bathroom surfaces. We wiped down every single door handle, drawer pulls, and even light switches -- anything that could've possibly still harbored my germs (even though I'm a super stickler about hand washing, especially after blowing my nose).

My brother and his family didn't get sick after the visit. I'm not sure how much the extra cleaning and precautions had to do with it, but I'm glad my 8-year-old got a refresher course on how germs can spread (not a bad thing in today's season of swine flu).

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Before you do, read this review from Carey Bryson, About.com's Guide to Kids' Movies & TV.

When I saw the trailer for this movie months ago with some friends, all of whom are in their 30s and 40s, we were awed by the lush visuals. But even back then, I had misgivings about taking my sensitive little guy to this movie.

There's always been an edgy, darker side to the Maurice Sendak book -- which is probably one of the many reasons it's been so popular with kids, who naturally love a little thrill and danger before their happy ending. I had a hunch that my son wouldn't do well with seeing the giant monsters come alive, no matter how they handled the story.

And now that the movie is out, many reviews are pointing out that this is a movie about a kids' book that is not for kids. (For one thing, Max's flight to the world of the wild things is triggered in part by his feeling neglected and abandoned; his mother, a single mom, is focused on her boyfriend and his teenage sister leaves him to join her friends). The book never spelled out Max's conflict, which left more room for our imaginations to work. Some things are better left unsaid, don't you think?

So who's this movie for? I guess for nostalgic fans of the book like my friends, who also love the artistry of director Spike Jonze. Unlike some other movies from children's books that missed the mark (remember the execrable Cat in the Hat with Mike Myers?), this one isn't a disaster. But it's probably not something I'll see with my son till he's much older -- if he's still interested, that is.

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