Forget attachment parenting, helicopter parenting, natural parenting, and everything in between -- because the celeb-types have a brand new style of raising kids that's apparently all the rage.
It's called "RIE Parenting," which is an acronym for Resources for Infant Educarers. It's pronounced "wry," and the basic gyst of it is treating babies like individuals ... not like tiny little bundles of joy. Why on earth should kids be treated like kids? (That just isn't right.)
Some of RIE's famous fans include Helen Hunt, Tobey Maguire, Penelope Cruz, and Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy, to name a few.
And apparently this style of parenting is oh so appealing to A-listers because duh -- they're raising their babies without "disrespecting" them.
Ok, so I know this probably sounds a little confusing -- so let me provide you with a few examples of what RIE parents simply do not allow.
No bouncy seats -- They're the devil. Or something. Putting your baby in a bouncer makes him zone out, and the only reason you're sticking him in there is because he's getting on your nerves. Show the kid some respect.
No bottles or sippy cups -- Just because your child is a baby doesn't mean he can't drink out of a regular cup like a big kid. Quit trying to dumb things down for him like he's some kind of idiot.
No high chairs -- Your baby is perfectly capable of sitting in a chair at a table, albeit a small one. According to RIE principles, "If you set limits around mealtime ... it is possible for babies to eat in a dignified way."
No baby talk -- Please. Forget goo-goo-ga-ga. You should be having adult conversations with your infant at all times.
No toys - Because "children don't need toys." (Why would they?)
No rattles -- They make noise. The end.
No mobiles -- Since the baby didn't choose it, it invades his sleeping space. It's a total annoyance.
No pacifiers -- Um, don't you know that "the pacifier is a plug?" Oh, and that your "infant has the right to cry?" Stop trying to prevent him from expressing himself.
No rocking babies to sleep -- By trying to soothe your infant, you're SO "interfering with his emotions." (Enough, already.)
No baby carriers like Björns or baby swaddles -- Dude. Can't your baby get from point A to point B on his own? Don't screw with his confidence.
No walkers -- Because they are, in a nutshell, "moving prisons."
Sheesh. Pretty intense, right? So what are you supposed to do as an RIE parent? Just let your kid lie there and scream his head off and hope that he suddenly realizes he needs to take control of his life and grow up already -- causing him to shut up and quit carrying on ... like a little baby?
Good grief. I can't wait to hear with the next big thing after RIE is. I'm thinking something along the lines of non-parent parenting -- where the baby learns how to change his own diaper and feed himself as soon as he comes out of the womb.
Would you ever try RIE parenting?
Image via Thomas/Flickr