The Cry It Out method isn’t what you think it is, can be used other ways
The Cry It Out method was created by a dick; Dick Ferber to be precise. The method isn’t about leaving your child to cry alone in a crib while you smoke long cigarettes and drink gin, no it’s about letting them learn to fall asleep on their own.
Using the Cry It Out method
The time to start is between three and six months of age and involves putting your baby to bed when they’re awake and waiting for a bit to respond to their cries. It does not mean you get to ignore their cries.
The idea is to wait a bit on the first call to come and sooth your baby, repeat with gradually increasing times before soothing. Eventually the child will learn that you’re going to be there even if you’re not there immediately.
Does the Cry It Out method work quickly?
No. It can be a couple of days or a couple of weeks and does not work for everyone. You can find schedules, books, tons of pages devoted to it and why you’re either a great parent re-enforcing the child’s own abilities to handle their problems and understand they’re safe and loved along with providing you the rest you need, or you’re a horrible person ignoring your child’s plaintive wails and teaching them that there is no god and perhaps killing their brains.
Quick breakdown
While there are plenty of other factors and this is not quite exactly proper CIO methodology, you can look at the CIO method as the following programming:
x=minute, y = day of Cry It Out Method
- set y =1 (change for day)
- set x = 3 * y
- Put child to bed while they’re awake
- ignore cries for x minutes
- sooth child without picking up child or moving from crib
- x=x+y {increase delay}
- if child==awake goto 3
- profit
What else can you use the Cry It Out Method for
The same principles apply for any other thing that you need to do. Got a baby that freaks out if it’s not held constantly? Same idea – put it next to you, sooth. Walk away for a bit and return to sooth in gradually lengthening times.
Works, doesn’t work, don’t know. Your baby is your baby. Your ability to follow through is yours. Who knows.
I’ve discovered whatever you say, do, or believe there are a set of parents who find you the worst evil people in the world. If you can get your baby to sleep in a short amount of time and then get yourself some sleep this is good for everyone. If you’ve got a kid crying for hours and you’re not getting any rest, it’s failing.
Anyhow, that’s it. Or I have it entirely wrong.
