How do we keep our children's hearts soft and teachable?

By softening our own. Being willing to change-- the way you dress, the shows and movies you watch, the way you speak about yourself and the opposite sex, the music you listen to--will do something to your child's heart that your words cannot.

Set a Consistent Example

"Some parents may think they are keeping a safe enough distance from inappropriate entertainment, rationalizing our involvement by saying that “just a little won’t hurt” or “it only has one bad part.” Standards will deteriorate if parents subject themselves to these influences...


I recognized the challenge in this when I began listening to a radio station that plays the music I enjoyed as a teenager. There were songs I hadn’t heard for more than 20 years, yet I had total recall of the lyrics, some of which I now recognize were not always appropriate. I was always taught that if you hear the music, your mind is recording the words, but I realize only now how desensitized I was as a teenager to some of those popular lyrics. I find myself doing a lot of station-hopping because my spirit can no longer tolerate the words which come so vividly back to my mind, and I realize that if I, as a parent, want to remain credible in the eyes of my children, I cannot justify listening to or viewing the kind of entertainment that I have asked my children not to participate in.

The most powerful way for us to teach our children correct principles is by example. If we stand firm against the waves of worldly entertainment and set a consistent example of private prayer, scripture study, church and temple attendance, and meaningful service, our children will be more likely to follow our example and develop these same strengths in their own lives.

We must make our homes a holy place, not a hiding place for entertainment that will lead us away from the Spirit of the Lord."

http://lds.org/ensign/2001/06/setting-family-standards-for-entertainment?lang=eng