School truancy may be a strong signal of depressed kids.

Do you know a young person that is truant? It could be because they are depressed. Research has found that students who are depressed are more likely to miss school. Missing a lot of school days can lead to academic failure and isolation which can increase depression. 

PositiveTip: Teachers and parents, be aware of possible depression signaled by skipping school, then seek professional help if needed. 

Flu shots reduce hospital admissions for children.

Want to keep your child out of the hospital even if they get the flu? A single pediatric dose of the H1N1 vaccine administered at least 14 days before diagnosis was 85% effective at keeping the kids out of hospital according to Canadian research. A single dose is suboptimal, but in an emergency can be very helpful.

PositiveTip: Flu season is starting. Have you and your kids been immunized?

A few minutes of watching "SpongeBob SquarePants" in 4 year olds lowers attention and cognition.

A small, randomized, controlled study found that 4 year olds who watched fast-paced cartoons for only 9 minutes did significantly worse on tests of attention and cognition than those who spent the same amount of time drawing with crayons. How long do these effects last? More research is needed.

PositiveTip: Allowing your young children to watch fired-up cartoons may at least temporarily impair their attention and cognitive capacities.

The earlier kids try alcohol, the greater risk for alcohol dependence later in life.

Have you ever heard that teaching kids how to use alcohol at an early age is a good idea. Beware: more than 40 percent of those who begin drinking at age 14 or younger develop alcohol dependence, compared with 10 percent of those who begin drinking at age 20 or older.

PositiveTip: Don’t consider allowing your kids to drink at an early age. It’s a loaded gun!

What are the dangers to your kids using unmonitored social media?

Kids have become avid users of social media. Facebook, MySpace, blogs, Twitter and more have become routine parts of the lives of youngsters across the world. So, is there a problem with this? We know that parental supervision is key to protecting kids from drug use. It is therefore reasonable to assume that unmonitored Internet use is dangerous and may lead to cyberbullying, unwanted exposure to pornography, and revealing personal information to predators.

The sour-side of the breakfast cereal industry--advertising junk cereals to our kids.

Preschoolers in America annually see an average of 642 cereal ads targeted directly at them--a majority of those for sugar-laden brands. Sadly, the least healthy cereals are the ones advertised most to children. Is it any wonder then that our children clamor to start the day with sugary cereals, laying the foundation for future obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. According to the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, cereals marketed directly to children have 85% more sugar, 65% less fiber, and 60 more sodium that those targeted at adults.