Originally Posted by Cat Herder:
IMHO, The point is not that it is bad to use confining equipment, it is to acknowledge the fact that the equipment is for the ADULTS, not the child.
No child needs a break in a swing or stroller. They are happy crawling around and exploring in a safe environment. 
The point is more about purposefully creating that safe environment instead of confining them from yours...
I hope that makes more sense?
This is it exactly.
“Allow the child to be authentic, to move, to feel the way they move, appreciating them for what they are”
Magda Gerber
“Let the child be the scriptwriter, director and actor in his own play.”
Magda Gerber
I've been to a RIE child care center and you'd be amazed. It was so calm, quiet and amazingly tranquil. There were both parents and "Educarers" (the name that Magda gave the child care providers in RIE) on the floor close to, but not overbearing, the infants and toddlers. The adults just observing and smiling and softly acknowledging the children when they turned towards them or went near them. It was one of the most awe-inspiring things I have ever seen. It resonated with me and changed a few things about me.
A lot of it made sense to me from just watching it. I figure if you can make it work in a child care setting then it should work better for parents. And I agree, the article in no way even begins to encompass what RIE really is. RIE is about respecting each infant and toddler as an individual, waiting and watching for their ques and trusting them (no copter-mom rushing to take little Suzie down from the equipment for fear from having her hurt herself). In RIE even boo-boo's are learning experiences.