Crying It Out logic

My cousin posts on FB that she is fighting with her 2.5 yo daughter to get her to sleep...we have all been there as parents, right? Then one friend says "...you have to let her cry it out or she will just know that you will always keep coming back." (like this is the worst case scenario, your kid trusting you to BE there when she cries out for you?)

I post in desperate disagreement and the friend responds, basically: Keep up the CIO, you have a smarter than the average baby!

What?

So What's the logic there...if the child were of average intelligence she would be okay to go in and reassure her?

Smart kids must be manipulative by nature?

Only dumb kids really need their moms at night?

And if her 2 and half year old is THAT clever, if she is such a manipulative mastermind that she simply must be at it and is clearly just trying to, I don't know, take over the world one exhausted parent at a time, why not TALK to her and find out what the trouble is?

My son was pretty capable of making simple requests and needs clear at that age, and I am pretty sure he's of average intelligence.

Garrrr!

I sent her the link for mothering.com, I really hope she checks it out!

Here are some other links for reasons NOT to let your child, of ANY age just cry themselves to sleep just in case some one stumbles accross this rant:

http://www.naturalchild.org/advice/q09.html#1266936616

http://www.naturalchild.org/jan_hunt/babyspeaks.html#1266936612

http://askdrsears.com/html/10/handout2.asp

http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/attachmentparenting/cio.htm

http://www.naturalchild.org/advice/q36.html#1266936625

http://www.naturalchild.org/advice/q55.html#1266936620

http://www.naturalchild.org/jan_hunt/crying.html#1266936608

http://www.pantley.com/elizabeth/advice/0071381392.php

http://www.pinky-mychild.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=11&Itemid=36

http://www.educarer.com/brain.htm

http://www.phdinparenting.com/2008/07/05/no-cry-it-out/

http://www.momversation.com/episodes/cry-it-out-or-not-cry-it-out

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/T051200.asp#T051205

http://drbenkim.com/articles-attachment-parenting.html

http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/attachmentparenting/cio.htm