Is your home a kid-safe media home?

Do this:

• Walk through each room/space in your home and take notes of all the printed media you leave lying around (magazines, books, newsletters, newspapers, advertising circulars, etc.).

• Watch TV with your kids. Don't influence their program choices, just sit with your kids. Watch the program, and observe your kids' reactions to it.

• Watch your child or teen as he or she surfs the Internet or plays computer or video games. Again, don't interfere with where they go, what they choose, or how they react.

• Listen to the music your children or teens like. Listen to the words or read they lyrics if you can. Pay attention to how the music makes you feel — sad, happy, energetic, down, agitated, uplifted.

• Read through the magazines your children read or browse the offerings for kids and teens at the magazine stand.

Think about this:

• Do your children and teens receive mostly inappropriate or appropriate messages from the media in your home?

• Do you agree with the values presented or did they make you wince?

— Was the level of sexual content acceptable or unacceptable to you?

— Were the roles of men and women stereotypical?

— Did you notice incidences of sexism or racism?

• How did people in relationships treat each other? Would you want your child to treat friends or family in this way?

— Did the people speak to each other appropriately? Did they use language you would allow in your home?

• Was the world depicted as generally positive or negative, as predominately peaceful or violent?

• How many commercials did you watch during the show?

• Were characters judged by who they are or what they have?

Source: "Raising a G-Rated Family in an X-Rated World," by Brent and Phelecia Hatch