Watching “Toy Story,” “Toy Story 2” and some other Disney movies recently on the ABC Family channel, I became very dismayed seeing commercials for other shows this so-called “family” channel regularly broadcasts.

First, the titles are very telling: “Pretty Little Liars,” “Secret Life,” “The Lying Game.” Hmmm. Seems a little sketchy. Based on the titles alone, this isn’t the type of programming I’d want to expose my children to.

Granted, I’ve never watched an episode, but based on the commercials, I’d never want to. Seemingly geared toward teens, the episodes recently advertised put main characters in situations that promote lying to one another, cheating, destroying relationships and generally acting in ways most people with even a tiny sense of right and wrong wouldn’t find themselves.

So while families are watching authentically family-oriented programs with wonderful messages about friendship, loyalty and making good choices, they are being bombarded during commercial breaks with teasers for shows that promote the complete opposite. Most of the situations on the shows are what you’d might expect to find in tabloids at the grocery check-out line.

I find it very disturbing that ABC Family chooses to promote these very adult-themed situations during a show geared toward a decidedly younger audience. Not to mention that not one of these situations seems like it has anything to do with family in the sense that most of us are familiar.

I do, however, believe in the rights of television stations to produce and air programs they choose. I just wish they would hold to some of the standards I remember from my childhood. Shows with certain adult themes and content wouldn’t be aired until later in the evening. I even remember the short public service announcement: “It’s 9 o’clock, do you know what your children are watching?”

Things sure have changed.

Today, ABC Family’s slogan is “a new kind of family.” I sure hope and pray it’s not the kind of family they promote that gains any kind of foothold in mainstream America. As parents, it is up to us to be sure we counteract the messages being fed to our children through television and other media. We need to remain diligent in instilling Christian values every step of the way.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have a resource that can help parents through many stages  of parenting children. At www.foryourmarriage.org, a section is dedicated to parenting and family issues, from balancing work and family and keeping your children away from drugs to living in an empty nest.

When we have to compete with the “new kind of family” ABC promotes, we can sure use all the help we can get.