Ashley Hidalgo Skead can attribute her striking looks to an interesting Canadian, Filipino and Spanish lineage. Her hazelnut-brown hair, sharp features and fine bone structure made her a fitting endorser for various products in her teens.
Her mother Elvira, who comes from the well-heeled Morato-Hidalgo clan, is also quite a head-turner herself. Always relaxed, experimental and young at heart, Elvira is the type who thinks “out of the box.”
It is perhaps this outlook that has made it easy for her to blend with people of all ages and from all walks of life, never judging, always understanding. And it is this admirable trait that helped shape Ashley in her growing-up years.
Strong, determined
Born in Vancouver, Canada, Ashley was whisked off to Manila at 8 years old. The change—from the clean surroundings of Vancouver’s parks, the familiar neighborhood with a mostly white community, to eclectic Manila—was quite abrupt. It wasn’t exactly a smooth transition for her, Ashley recalls, but this change would eventually make the soft, demure lady strong and determined.
Being an only child made Ashley gravitate toward other children. The natural and special connection she had with them was so apparent that Elvira called her a “baby whisperer.” It is no wonder that Ashley graduated at the top of her class in Child Development Education, and now holds a master’s degree in the field.
“My mother is the reason behind the person I am today, and I will always be thankful to her for that,” says Ashley. “She is the epitome of the perfect educator, and I would like to embed her personal parental philosophies into my practices.
“I was always treated by my mom as an adult,” she adds. “I had chores and was held responsible for my actions. I got what I deserved. My mom strongly believes in delayed gratification, and the prize became extra sweet and valuable to me that way.”
Positive influences
Her mother always emphasized good behavior, and reminds her to seek the company of those who would be positive influences on her. She believes one attracts people based on how one conducts oneself.
“I know my mom as a high-powered executive who was always busy. She was a single mother, but I always felt loved, protected and cared for. Just the consistency of her being there made me know I’d always come home to her care,” says Ashley.
Her philosophy toward shaping children’s lives takes a holistic approach. “I want children to feel like I am their second parent. I prefer the progressive type of preschool/kindergarten environment. It gives children the opportunity to develop a love of learning through play and interaction with others and with their environment.”
Ashley keeps it simple by choosing comfort over style any day. Dorothy Perkins, Zara and Mango provide her both the class and style in her outfits.
Her greatest secret is moisturizing, using petroleum jelly on extremely dry areas. “I sometimes sleep with excess amounts on my hands and feet with socks and gloves over them. It’s an overnight remedy!”
She washes her face daily to keep her skin clean and clear.
One should be so lucky to be under Ashley’s care.