"Black Friday" -- the day after Thanksgiving that marks the official start of the holiday shopping season-- is also the day when parents such as myelf hit the panic button. Try as we might, it's just not possible to keep up with the onslaught of books, movies, and videogames being marketed to our kids. Fortunately, Common Sense Media is on hand to help, with news, research and buyers' guides to help parents make the best choices for our kids. Here's a sampling of their recommendations.

Game consoles

CS Media says don't believe the hype -- the Sony Playstation 3 may not be worth the price. It's not just its hefty price tag ($499 and up, if you were among the diehards who camped out to get one retail) -- it's also because of the price of the games themselves and the fact that you need HDTV to get the best experience. On the other hand, the Nintendo Wii system has a lot to offer younger children, and the XBox 360 "system will grow s your kids do."

Video games

This guide's comprehensive, but succinct list of the best new games for kids of all ages has lots of interesting finds such as Guitar Hero II -- "a musical action game with a guitar-shaped controller." What I really appreciated, though, was its scouting report on controversial games such as Rockstar Games' Bully. CS Media calls it "an intimidation game setting" that "shows that there are consequences for bulling others:"

Do you buy it? There's plenty of psychological brutality and physical violence (fist fighting, kicking, and "humiliating" finishing moves). Weapons include a baseball bat, a garbage can lid, and a fire extinguisher, but there are no guns, blood, or gore. Because this game deals with intimidation and violence with realistic language, parents who let their kids play it should absolutely talk to them about school violence. The game contains some sexual remarks and alcohol references -- and, depending on the path taken, main character Jimmy Hopkins can kiss another boy. Pranks include firing at football players from a tree with a slingshot and throwing marbles on the ground for others to trip over. The game does include consequences for misdeeds. We rate Bully Pause for 14+.

CS Media also has buying guides for DVDs, books for older , and younger kids, and music.

I still find holiday shopping overwhelming, but armed with this advice, I'm more confident that the choices I ultimately make will be both entertaining and healthy.