Today we’d like to introduce you to PaChristia Askew.
PaChristia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My name is PaChristia Askew, but everyone calls me PC! I’m 25, born and raised in Memphis, TN, and currently reside is Dallas, TX. For as long as I can remember, I have always been the odd-ball-out. My opinions have always differed from others and I have always loved to think outside of the box. I went to Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN from 2012-2016, where I studied Child Development. Originally, I wanted to pursue neuro-psychology, but the Early Childhood/Child Development program was too amazing to miss out on; I was able to still learn about the brain in-depth, so it was a win/win! I worked various jobs from daycare teacher, preschool teacher, nanny, and pre-school gymnastics director while putting myself through college.
While completing my last year, I met my fiance and about a year later. We moved back home to Memphis due to my high-risk pregnancy. After our daughter was born, my life changed dramatically as to how I viewed the world. I know it’s cliche, but having kids is life-changing. I (as well as my fiance) was raised in a very traditional black family. Seen but not heard, yelled at, spanked or whooped, and the list goes on. I wanted different for our daughter. My motherly instincts were haywire and my only mission was to protect her, her brain development, and parent her in a way where she would not have to heal from her childhood later.
She was my motivation to start my blog and educate others on conscious parenting. I knew so much about the brain because of school, my experience, and independent research and I knew that there was a healthy and an unhealthy way to raise a child. I enjoy the works of notable theorists such as Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygtosky, and Maria Montessori. Erik Erikson spent a lot of time emphasizing the psychological development of human beings and he is one of my favorites theorists!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
With any kind of success, even minimal, there are struggles. That’s what makes our story… our story. While trying to finish college, I experienced a horrible miscarriage and that changes you as a person. I had my moments where life just felt like is was on pause. That was a really hard time for me and I started to question a lot of things, gave up a lot, and found myself lost.
After the birth of our now two-year-old, that came with an unbelievably long list of struggles. One of the biggest for me was working as a server at a local bar in Memphis and sometimes the shifts would be up to 12 hours. As a breastfeeding mom, I would struggle trying to find time to pump but I always made it work! Between paying my coworkers to keep an eye on my tables, being transparent with the guests, and just remaining optimistic, I did it! Actually, two years later, I’m still breastfeeding. My breastfeeding struggles were my motivation to go back to school to study Maternal and Child Health with an emphasis on Human Lactation to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
Aside from that, trying to balance being a mom, a fiance, a career (high-profile nanny), and a blog is a struggle itself. However, I have been learning how to keep a healthy balance and making sure that I’m dedicating time for myself and my dreams.
Please tell us about The Conscious Mommy.
My expertise is infancy and toddler-hood, so I have spent lots of time educating myself and others about the importance of understanding WHY these stages of human life that Erik Erikson presented are imperative. I started my blog to have a platform where parents, teachers, and anyone with an open mind who wanted to understand children better, can find resources, research, and advice as it relates to raising emotionally healthy children. Though my blog is still`fairly new, I have spent years educating others on various social media platforms!
The brain thrives on connection and empathy. Conscious parenting allows parents to engage and connect with children using emotional intelligence. The underlying goal is to promote a relationship with our children based on willingness and choices as opposed to the traditional, authoritarian, parenting style of demands and rules made by a parent. My blog is aimed for those who want to understand the brain of a growing human. If I could change the life of just a few children and families, that would make me beyond ecstatic!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is doing something that you’ve always wanted to do, remaining dedicated, headstrong, outspoken, and getting it done. In a world where everyone is under a microscope, it’s so easy to lose yourself in your goals, in your moments, in the world of social media.
If I’ve marked off everything on the list that I’ve wanted to and I’m happy and confident with my accomplishments, I have succeeded.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.consciousmommyxoxo.com/
- Email: info@consciousmommyxoxo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pachristiaaskew/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theconsciousmommy/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/pachristia
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