Participation — Get involved.

• Sit down with your kids and talk to them about their favorite parts of pop culture. Use published discussion starters or develop your own. Try viewing the “Mind Over Media” video together. Take advantage of teachable moments.

• Use the Internet to research lyrics and band bios of that must-have CD. Check out media review websites.

• Read popular books with your children, pausing to discuss controversial issues. This pays off twofold when, as in the case of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, doing so precedes viewing the movie or video.

Role modeling — Lead the way.

• Bill Sanders, who conducts seminars for high schoolers and their parents, says, “When I ask teens why they watch what they do, eight out of ten times they tell me their parents watch the same stuff. Because of this, my wife and I have decided not to watch R-rated movies to set an example for our own kids.”

Exploring acceptable alternatives — Take more control over what gets into your home.

• For a family-friendly alternative to mainstream rock and top-40 fare, try contemporary Christian music. Your local Christian bookstore (or “Christian” section in other stores) has a wealth of great substitutes for almost every musical taste.

• Block most of the worst stuff on the Web with Internet filtering.

• Watch videos that have had the unacceptable language and scenes edited out by rental chains like CleanFlicks and MovieMask.

According to Bob Smithouser, editor of Plugged In magazine, “Setting and reinforcing [media] standards takes lots of love, patience, communication and prayer. But it is possible. And the rewards are great!”