Today's children are bombarded with media like no generation before, and parents are left with the frequently overwhelming task of sorting through it all. How do we protect our children from inappropriate messages? Where can we get easy access to accurate information about products and programs marketed toward our kids? Below are a few of my favorite websites designed to help parents make informed choices about the media to which their children are exposed.

The Chinaberry Bookstore catalog is online at www.chinaberry.com. The goal at Chinaberry is "to support conscious parenting" and to help families create a home with serenity and beauty. At it's website you'll find detailed descriptions of books for children from birth through the teen years, plus good reads for adults. Chinaberry selects books based on the quality of writing, positive role models, and reinforcement of ethical choices. Even if you never buy a book from Chinaberry, their catalog makes a handy reference guide -- I used to bring it along to the library. The site also has sections called "Tending the Hearth" and "Simple Pleasures" with books, tapes, and other products to help create a loving and meaningful home.

For families who find movie ratings of little help, check out Screen It at www.screenit.com. This public service site sells nothing but provides detailed descriptions of movies and music. You can search for titles alphabetically, and there's a quick-look matrix rating the movie in twelve different areas including gore, drug and alcohol use, bad attitude, scary music, and the usual categories of profanity, nudity, and violence. In addition, there's a section on why kids will want to see a given movie and why they shouldn't. There's even a section on which characters are positive role models.

The Lion and Lamb Project at www.lionlamb.org focuses specifically on decreasing the marketing of violence to children. While some may find Lion and Lamb a little strident in its mission, there are helpful sections on research about the effect of violence in the media, a Parent Action Kit for peacemaking, and a "what you can do" section. They also offer lists of toys they endorse and a free newsletter.

The Parents' Choice organization at www.parents-choice.org is a non-profit public service promoting excellence in books, music, software, TV shows, toys, and games for children of all ages. Using criteria including creativity, play value, learning, and positive message, Parents' Choice awards gold, silver, and "recommended" awards. I have found that every product I have purchased with the gold seal Parents' Choice Award has been a real winner with my children and me. This site is a great resource for families looking for quality alternatives to products that are often popular but inappropriate.

Of course not all popular culture is bad, but there's so much out there today that doesn't reflect many of our values. It's useful to have resources to help families wade through the hordes of choices and select products that affirm our principles.