Meet a Mom: Mary Christian | Hudson County Moms

How many children do you have and what are their age(s)?
Total boy mom! I have 2 sons, my oldest is 5 years old and an my newborn 2 weeks old.

How long have you lived in Your Town/Hudson County? What made you decide to live here?
I grew up in Queens with the hustle and bustle of a city life. In 2010, as newlyweds, we were looking into new neighborhoods but I was not willing to compromise on city living. Jersey City offered the perfect balance of that with a sense of a community. It was, and still is, the perfect neighborhood for couples to start a family.

What’s your favorite family activity in Jersey City?
The street festivals that Jersey City organizes a few times a year are my favorite. Most of the festivals are in celebration and acknowledgment of a cultural holiday, and it just showcases the multicultural community in Jersey City. Also, a great way for my son to try out different cuisines!

Where’s your favorite place to eat and/or shop in your town?
I love Taqueria, it’s quaint and truly authentic Mexican food.

What’s one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I am a first generation American, born and raised in India.

What are you doing to stay sane during Covid for yourself?
I’ve channeled my inner Marie Kondo and used this time to do major de-cluttering. The silver lining to this time at home has definitely been more family time and finally having the time to tackle those (long) put off home projects.

Any tips or recommendations for parents to entertain/educate their children during this time?
I did A LOT of DIY arts and crafts projects with my 5-year-old son. His favorite was making play dough and slime from scratch, you can imagine how busy those kept him when we were done! I also purchased workbooks to keep the balance, Mason spends an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening completing them. We’ve also tackled reading, 4 weeks into it and he was able to read his first book.

Anyone special you’d like to thank for helping you through parenthood?
Definitely my husband. We made the decision together when we had our first son to make sure he fits into our life style and we made sure we practiced that throughout parenthood. We love to travel and we made sure we continued to travel the world with Mason, he’s visited 5 continents by the age of 4.

Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
I’m the proud owner of Ivy Primary Prep, an early education center located on the border of Jersey city and Hoboken. We focus on primary learning for ages 18 months to 6 years. What led me on this path of early education stemmed from my own early childhood. As a first-generation American, I had the opportunity to experience two different education systems. While some may see that as a potential setback, it’s served as the root of my inspiration. Children develop quickly between birth and the age of six. A child’s experience during these early years has a major impact on their future learning abilities. As a parent looking to enroll my toddler in preschool, I had a hard time finding an early education program that offered both a primary focus on academics with a combination of play. It was in that moment I saw the void in our private education system and decided to fill it by building Ivy Primary Prep.  

How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Jersey City has a strong community feeling, especially amongst the moms, and I couldn’t have picked a better community to open my preschool in. As moms, we want to be the best role model for our children, by following my dream and making it a reality I want to be an inspiration not only to my children but to other future mompreneurs. It’s almost affirming my journey, to know I have the support of Jersey City moms to make my aspirations a success.

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