# Anyone know about RIE and CIO?



## pammysue (Jan 24, 2004)

I have a basic understanding of the philosophy of RIE and I agree with it very generally. Someone told me today that they were told RIE advocates CIO for 30 minutes to help babies learn to "self-soothe." Is this crazy-ness true??

PS. I had no idea where to put this. Mods please move if necessary.










TIA


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## lauren (Nov 20, 2001)

I think this might do better in the main Learning at School forum. MOving now. Sorry I missed it.


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## RomanGoddess (Mar 16, 2006)

By RIE, you mean Resources for Infant Educarers? In _Your Self Confident Baby_, Magda Gerber strongly suggests reading Mark Weissbluth's _Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child_, which basically says that from 4 months, you should have your baby on a schedule and let her cry in her bed if she doesn't want to go to sleep right away. Gerber also says that, while she recognizes that where the baby sleeps is a personal choice and that cultural factors are involved, she thinks it is best for baby to sleep alone.

I think that the RIE philosophy is fantastic in raising the whole idea of respect for the baby and child - talk to your baby, tell her exactly what you are going to do to her, don't pick her up before telling her you will, etc. I also think they have the right idea for toddlers and playing - create a safe spot where they can work and play independently, for example. I think that RIE is way off the mark on a lot of things to do with _infant care_. They tie co-sleeping to independence, assume that an infant will wean at 8 months, discourage baby wearing beyond the small baby stage, say that baby should be lying on her back at all times (can you say flat head?).

As with everything, I pick and choose what I like about their approach.

By the way, MODS, I would put this under Parenting Issues. It definitely does not belong under Learning at School.


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## jakesmama (May 9, 2005)

I was trained in RIE as an early head start teacher and I can see CIO easily being part of the philosophy. Magda was def. against babywearing of any kind as well. You have to keep in mind that the movement started in an orphange. The nurses would not have been able to soothe every baby nor cosleep at all. They were never allowed to kiss the children either.

I second the pp in that the method gives babies a more human voice. Instead of just "being babies" they are people individual and unique who deserve respect and communication. I use RIE a lot when working with other peoples' children and at home I pick and choose what to include with my own. I let my kids know from day one what we're doing, where we're going, etc. I also allow a lot of exploration that other parents may deem dangerous; if a child can get into a position they can certainly get out as long as that is what they are used to. I don't use baby holders or try to prop babies up.

As with everything, use what is useful to you and leave the rest.


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## junipermuse (Nov 1, 2006)

I just wanted to point out that there is another thread about rie and cio over on the Waldorf forum.


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## LoveOhm (Apr 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *RomanGoddess* 
I think that RIE is way off the mark on a lot of things to do with _infant care_. They tie co-sleeping to independence, assume that an infant will wean at 8 months, discourage baby wearing beyond the small baby stage, say that baby should be lying on her back at all times (can you say flat head?).

As with everything, I pick and choose what I like about their approach.

By the way, MODS, I would put this under Parenting Issues. It definitely does not belong under Learning at School.

I agree this is not best under learning at school.... RIE is an infant care philosophy.

RomanGoddess RIE is amazing and I have now been in RIE classes at the RIE center for 18 months. (We were the last class held at Magda Gerber's house after she passed away this year)









With regard to Magda and infant care, you have to realize RIE was created for group care.... not individual care. It would be very challenging to have an orphanage full of children and give them equal AP care.... (but I am sure Magda might have tried)!







Her tools are by necessity were developed for group settings. Babywearing & co-sleeping on the surface are not supported by RIE but let me further explain the meanings behind them....

Babywearing ~ If your child needs to be near you then Magda would say pick him up but to also follow "his" cues and allow him so independent time as well! This to me is just common sense.... my dd likes to explore but there are high needs times and that is when I would hold (or sling) her!

Co-sleeping ~ Now this is pretty black and white RIE does not support this but in theory if you started putting your newborn to bed in their own bed sleepy but awake they would learn to settle themselves and go to sleep on their own.... this was true for many moms in my RIE class. I did not do that and co-slept from day #1 (in the hospital) and still co-sleep with my dd who is now 18 months..... when I was really tired of how difficult it was as a single mom to put dd alseep I went to my RIE teacher (who is also on their board) and she informed me to nap with the baby during the day, start bedtime routine much earlier so I was not already tired when we started & that around 3 years dd would leave my bed most likely on her own.... she said if I could not stand that then to consider CIO but that was if I could not stand it and it was hurting the health of my dd & I!!!!

I am a very attacked mama --- I'm a single SAHM, we co-sleep, nurse on demand, babywear (though not overly so), practice GD, etc. but we have also be doing RIE since before dd was born. At the playground my dd is the most coordinated, I can trust her to know and respect her own limits and to push them when she is "ready" --- she does not seek praise or validation from me and has an independent spirit that I notice many RIE children have. Because I "observe" my daughter I know her non-verbal cues which thus allows me to be more "attached" to her and better able to respond to her needs. RIE also helped me to set limits and not wear myself out which is something Dr. Sears mentions but does not really give tools (in the books I have read) for setting those boundaries in order to avoid burn out. All in all I think AP & RIE compliment each other but you have to balance any philosophy because none are without their flaws.


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## SantaMonica (Dec 21, 2007)

The school my son was in has a RIE philosophy and while I think they have a great toddler program, if I had it to do over again I never would have had him start there as an infant. They do the CIO stuff and let them lie on their back crying! They just sit there and look at them and don't pick them up. It was completely my fault for not understanding this approach of theirs before I got him in. And I was practicing Attachment Parenting! So I was wearing him, sleeping with him and never ever ever letting him CIO. I think the RIE philosophy is a bit bunk myself and it's all based on the views of one person - Magda Gerber. I don't really know of any respected studies that show that it's a preferred way of caring for infants. Infants need holding. I honestly think RIE is an excuse for child care providers to not have to tend to babies as intensely.


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