MANILA, Philippines?We asked some celebrity moms about the subject at hand. What they said in different ways bore the same sentiments:

1) Pre-screen the shows your children will watch, if possible.
2) Sit and watch with them, if you care to find the time.
3) Be consistent and vigilant, if you don?t want to lose your authority to imaginary heroes. Not even to Superman.

Lea Salonga
Singer/Actress, Inquirer Entertainment columnist, mom of Nicole Beverly, 3

My husband Robert and I are in charge of what Nic watches, and her yaya follows our instructions. Nic is allowed to watch only kiddie channels and the movies we?ve selected for her?animated series, shows with lots of music. She likes movies such as ?Up? and ?Monsters vs. Aliens.? For some reason, if anything that isn?t what she likes is on TV, she ignores it and plays with a toy.

How should parents regulate? Check the ratings given to a particular film or TV show, see an episode of the show in advance, if possible. Watch TV with the kids and, as they grow up, help them make informed decisions on what?s good and what?s not.

Geneva Cruz
Singer, mom to son Heaven, 13

KC (Montero, her partner) and I control what Heaven watches. He?s allowed to watch sports programs, cartoons, etc. He can?t watch adult channels. At 13, he knows what he should be watching. He?s very open with me.

Gory, sexual, and violent shows are offensive. Parents can help regulate their kids? TV-viewing habits by explaining to them why they can?t watch certain shows. Parents should be firm and loving at the same time.

Mia Rocha-Lauchengco
Wife of singer Raymond Lauchengco, mom of Natalie Grace, 2

Raymond and I decide what Natalie watches ? and when. She is usually with one of us when watching TV. If not, she is only allowed to watch her ?usual? shows, if at all. Thankfully, she?s not much into TV.

She usually watches musical and educational shows ? ?Dora the Explorer,? ?Go Diego Go? and ?Hi-5.? Nat particularly enjoys cooking shows, so we let her watch those, too, whenever she wants.

Violence is definitely offensive. Even Mickey Mouse can get violent! Tom and Jerry ... let?s not even go there!

Vigilance is key. Watching TV with your kids and explaining things while the show is in progress helps children understand the show better. This also helps them not to be passive. I think the best way to regulate TV viewing is to instill in kids a love for books early on. Books beat TV anytime. It encourages imagination, makes kids think, and is excellent ?cuddle time? for parent and child.

Isay Alvarez
Singer/Actress, mom to Didang, 23, Bok, 17, Miong, 10

We try to regulate our youngest son?s TV viewing habits. The other two can watch what they deem is good and enjoyable.

Miong is allowed to watch cartoons??SpongeBob SquarePants? and ?Rugrats.? However, there are programs that have humor that?s really for adults?they can be naughty in a sense. I see our son enjoying them because they?re funny, but as a parent, I worry about what these shows are putting in my son?s head.

I don?t particularly like local programs that have skimpily clad girls dancing. Small kids who watch these programs think that?s the right way to dress up?mini skirts, tube tops, etc. And sadly, the only dance they know is the kind of dance they see on TV.

As much as possible, parents should watch TV with their children. They should take time to explain things, especially when watching something that?s not fit for the kids age. Children tend to like what their parents like.

Candy Pangilinan
Comedian, mom of Quentin, 5, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

I am in control of what shows my kid watches on TV, as well as movies on DVD. Everyone in the house helps enforce the set rules. This includes the length of time he spends in front of the TV set and the type of shows he can see. Also, he is not allowed to watch TV while eating.

Shows that teach values formation are okay. These are usually seen on Playhouse Disney. Noontime shows with girls gyrating is a bit too much for me. Kids imitate; they may look good doing this while they?re young, but not too cute anymore as they get older. I think this is also the reason that teenagers wear clothes that are too revealing. They grow up thinking it?s okay. Any kind of show with violence is not allowed at home, either.

Parents should preview shows before giving kids permission to see them. The TV should not be our children?s nanny. Limit TV time to an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Kids should engage in activities that will teach them to interact with others.

Household helpers should not watch noontime shows and teleseryes when a child is around. The key word here is consistency. We all have to do our share.

Karen Davila
TV host/Broadcaster, mom of David, 8, and Lucas, 2

I am in full control of what my kids watch at home. They are allowed to watch TV, but only at certain hours and on certain channels. I have to admit that when they?re left with the yayas, they get to watch, for example, a noontime show or a teleserye. I can easily tell when they?re overexposed to these shows because of their behavior and the words that they learn. Right away, I have to check that.

I feel that educational programming is a plus, but viewing should really be kept to a maximum of an hour a day.

On cable channels, too, there are programs that are not healthy for very young kids. When you let them watch boxing or wrestling, for example, you have to explain to them what they see. I find certain teleseryes, especially when there?s physical violence involved and a lot of shouting, to be very offensive.

Parents should make watching TV a treat or a reward rather than the norm. Toddlers shouldn?t get used to TV as part of their everyday lives. There are shows on GMA 7, ABS-CBN and TV5 that they can watch in the morning. On cable, I really like Disney Playhouse.

Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski
Athlete/Actress, mom to Robbie, 9, Raf, 7, and Renzo, 1

I?d like to think Dodot and I are in control of what our kids watch on TV. There are only a few channels the kids are allowed to watch on their own. Other than that, we make sure they are supervised.

Of course, we don?t let them watch shows with violence and sexual content. There are shows that are produced for children but feature characters with bad behavior that kids really shouldn?t see. We watch out for these shows, too.

I think there should be rules for watching TV. There should be a fixed schedule. On weekdays, our kids are allowed to watch TV only when they?re done with homework, or at night. We encourage them to play outdoors. We?re not too strict on weekends, pero sila mismo, they prefer playing to watching TV. As much as possible, we really try to be there when they?re watching.