Sexy nighttime soaps are a staple of guilty-pleasure TV. But recent lineups -- which includes Gossip Girl, 90210, Melrose Place, and The Vampire Diaries -- seem a little edgier than ever before. With their portrayals of over-the-top behavior, these shows provide guilty pleasure entertainment for older-but-wiser parents. But they're intended to attract a large teen audience, whose relationship to some of the issues the shows deal with hits a lot closer to home. Topics like losing your virginity, eating disorders, and trying pot are tame compared to what this season is packing: Sexting, a hit and run, murder, the model industry's dirty (and racy) little secrets, hooking up in college, and an undercurrent of vampire lust ... all set to a soundtrack of the latest songs and outfitted in top-of-the-line clothes.

So how do you manage it?

Watch first. If you can preview the show first, that will give you an idea of what to expect -- and what you can talk to your teen about.

Don't let younger kids watch these types of shows. The subjects they cover -- consequence-free underage drinking, smoking, drug use, and non-consensual sex -- aren't appropriate for kids middle school age and younger.

Watch with your older kids. Use these shows as an opportunity to insert your own values about some of the topics they cover. Sensitive subjects like sex, drugs, and alcohol are often easier to discuss in the context of fictional characters.

Enjoy. Treat the shows as the shallow entertainment they are -- and feel free to laugh along with your teen at the ridiculous shenanigans on the screen.

Have a reality check. Remind your teen that no one actually lives like the characters on these shows and that the storylines are designed for maximum entertainment value to increase viewership.