Editorial principles
I want Balansebarn to be the link you share in the parents' group chat precisely because it doesn't scare anyone. That kind of trust builds slowly and vanishes fast, so I've written down what I'm committing to. Hold me to it.
Sources, always
Every factual claim comes with a named, linked source. I link the primary source, not the coverage of it. You'll find the sources at the bottom of every article.
Findings are not opinion
What a study found and what I make of it are kept apart: the facts carry sources, and my judgements are written so you can see they're mine. That way you can disagree with me without disagreeing with the research.
Datestamped and maintained
Every article shows when it was last updated. Updated means properly reviewed, not just a typo fixed.
Honest metadata
The reading time is real. No manufactured urgency, no false scarcity, no tricks to win a click.
Never scare tactics, never moralising
I describe risk precisely without playing it up, and I never sort parents into “good” and “bad”. The aim, every single time, is a calmer pulse and a clearer next step.
Kids get to know why
I never recommend a rule without giving you the words to explain it to your child, pitched to their age. A child who knows why carries the rule with them. A child who only hears “because I say so” carries it as far as the door. That doesn't make everything negotiable: the rule stands, but it comes with a reason. The research behind this is in the article on exactly that.
Hand-edited by a human
Every article is hand-edited by a real, live human: the dad behind Balansebarn, Øyvind Østmo. Nothing gets published until I've read and shaped it myself, with my own experiences and judgement.
Comments
The comments are for parents' experiences and questions. I remove:
- harassment, abuse and hate
- personal details about children or anyone else, such as a name, a school or where someone lives
- advertising and spam
- anything illegal
Whoever wrote a removed comment gets an email explaining why.
If you see a comment that doesn't belong here, open the “…” menu next to it and choose “Report”. The report comes straight to me.
If you'd rather not see a particular person's comments, choose “Hide comments from this person” in the same menu. It only applies to you, and you can show them again from your profile.
Spotted something that breaks these? Tell me, and I'll fix it. See also how I choose sources.