Megan Muscia, D.O.
Hi everyone! I want to take a minute to introduce myself and tell you how excited I am to be joining Rush-Copley Medical Group! I am thrilled and honored to care for children in this community.
First, a little bit about myself. I went to college and medical school at Michigan State University (Go Spartans!) I am originally from the Chicago suburbs and I am lucky to have my whole family nearby. I am married and a mom of a very busy 18-month-old little girl.
Being a parent has made more of an impact on me being a pediatrician than being a pediatrician has ever improved my ability to be a mom. It has definitely helped me understand how hard all my patients’ parents are working! I hope you also know that I can empathize with all of you going through the newborn period, sleepless nights, and/or temper tantrums, because I have been there too. I also can say that while I have this experience, I am still trying to figure out parenthood just as much as everyone else! There is no “one size fits all” or perfect parent solution. As parents we can only do our best, and the best we can do for our children is to love them. The advice and recommendations you receive from friends, family and even your pediatrician can feel overwhelming to try and follow. I hope the advice given here can be simple and maybe answer a few questions about why we pediatricians recommend what we do.
In the office sometimes its hard to delve into all they ways you may spend time with your child, but as a parent quality time spent with your child is one of the most important things you can do for your child. It is a way to show your love for them and for them to develop a true sense of security. One of the best ways you can spend quality time with your child each day is reading to them.
In 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that parents should read to their child every day starting from birth. Recent studies have shown that children, who were read to, especially prior to starting school, have stronger parent-child relationships and have stronger language and literacy skills. Reading aloud with young children is one of the most effective ways to expose them to enriched language and to encourage specific early literacy skills needed to promote school readiness. I know sometimes it can feel silly reading to a 6 week old, but your baby is listening. We live in a world dominated by cell phones, tablets, TVs and computer screens. It is incredibly important to take time each day to “unplug” and read to your child, or as they get older have them read to you.
Here are a few tips from the AAP on ways to help your child learn to love reading:
- Read to your child every day — even if only for a few minutes. It is your time together.
- Reading should be fun. You don’t have to finish a story if your child loses interest.
- Let your child choose the book even if it means reading the same book over and over.
- Invite your child to “read” to you from a familiar book that he has memorized from having heard it so often read to him.
- Stop and ask about the illustrations or what your child thinks will happen next. The answers may amaze you.
- Read from a variety of children’s books, including fairy tales, poetry, and nursery rhymes.
- Follow your child’s interests in choosing the books. There are many great books on non-fiction subjects such as the ocean or dogs.
- Join your local library!
I hope this post inspires you to spend some time reading with your child!
Here are some of our favorite books right now, and some websites you can look at if you want more information about reading to your child.
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle
- Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
- Hello Ninja by N.D. Wilson
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- The Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertie and Jill McElmurry
- Toot by Leslie Patricelli
- Any book by Sandra Boyton
Happy Reading!
Resources:
Healthy Children.org
AAP Policy Statement:http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/134/2/404.full.pdf+html?sid=424738e8-f654-4940-a408-48b03a3687db