Teaching baby to self-soothe?

[elainevdb]

My son's almost 6 months old and I want to teach him how to self-soothe WITHOUT letting him 'cry it out'. I don't believe in it, and won't practice it. My question is, if you don't do the cry it out method, how do you teach a baby to self-soothe? I read that if a child doesn't learn how to self-soothe, they have trouble later in life with sleeping (going asleep and staying asleep). I don't know if it's true, but according to my reading it's crucial they learn how to do this.

I think 6 months is too young to start, but I want to know 1) a good age, and 2) a good method, without leaving him to cry.

Thanks everyone.