Five Steps to Safeguarding Your Family From Destructive Entertainment

1) Get into your children's entertainment world. Find out what they like to watch and listen to, and try to understand why. Keep in mind, it's not just the "heavy" music and R-rated movies that are bombarding them with hostile messages.

2) Set a family standard regarding what's in bounds and what's out. Put it in writing. Don't assume your young person lives by Christ-honoring principles regarding entertainment if you haven't discussed them—lately. (To "document" your family's commitment to godly discernment, read "A Family Covenant for Media Choices," then download the "Family Covenant" certificate found at the end of the article.)

3) Base your family standard on God's Word. A standard based on musical style, personal preference or a "hit list" of out-of-bounds bands is destined to fail. However, a standard based on biblical principles will guard your children for a lifetime. Philippians 4:8, 1 Peter 1:15 and Psalm 1 are great places to start.

4) Use (and teach) the WWJD concept. Ask, "What would Jesus watch; what would Jesus listen to?" before renting a video, going to a movie or allowing a CD to blare forth its message in your home.

5) Model wise entertainment choices. Hypocrisy will undermine what you are trying to communicate. Don't be afraid to change course (and apologize) if you've blown it, as many of us have.

6) This is a bonus one: Read through the "Decisions & Discernment" articles linked below to strengthen your grip on the whys, whats and hows of discerning the blacks, whites and grays of the entertainment world. And consider subscribing to the print version of Plugged In. Each monthly issue will give you a little bit more help as you navigate the world of popular entertainment.