Successful Event Planner and Homeschool Mom

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It is an amazing task when a working mom is responsible for the whole income of a house hold and takes on homeschooling as well. In this interview, Emily shares with us how she combines several methods of learning that include one-on-one teaching, co-ops, assistance of fellow homeschooling moms, independent learning, among other ways, all while having a varying work schedule.

Hi Emily, tell us about yourself, what do you do for a living?

I’m Emily Sullivan and I own an event planning company that specializes in Destination New Orleans Weddings. I also own a complimentary event rental company.

What’s your work schedule?

My work schedule varies from day to day, month to month and most importantly, during the event “season.”

If you work outside your home, who cares for your children while you are away?

My son has a dedicated school room at my office and he often goes with me for cake tastings, site visits, etc. Otherwise we have a nanny who helps me out on weekends and during the week for important things.

How long have you homeschooled for and what are your children’s ages?

I’ve been homeschooling for a year and a half. I started halfway through the 4th grade for my oldest son. My 4 year old is still attending Pre K, but I hope to also homeschool him in the future.

When do you homeschool and how long it takes you on average per day?

It varies depending on what we’re working on and how much of it is self led for that day.

Do you do all the teaching or do you have someone assisting you?

I have another homeschool mom who takes him to do school with her kids one day a week. We also go to a group tutoring session for Classical Conversations’ Essentials every other week.

In what ways has working benefitted your homeschool life and/or vice versa?

I think it’s beneficial because I work such long weekend hours I feel like I am able to spend a lot more time with him now. I also get to travel a good bit for work and I’m able to bring them along to see so many things, and I think that is the best education, and because we aren’t stuck to a school schedule, we have a lot more opportunities for that. This year we were able to visit Richmond VA, Washington D.C. New York, and Las Vegas (Grand Canyon).

Do you have time for extracurricular activities? (e.g. field trips, co-ops, etc.)

He does P.E. at a Co-Op with the mom who helps me out once a week. We chose that day specifically so he’d be able to go along with her kids. We also attend Classical Conversations (CC) Community day once a week. I limit the field trips that I commit to, because of my hectic schedule, but I do feel like he gets to see a ton of things because of the type of business I’m in. (Example: last year I was on a site visit at a gas lantern company and they showed him how to heat metal and bend it to make lanterns).

That’s great to have the help of a fellow mom! Do co-ops benefit you in any way? If so, how?

I find that being part of CC’s Community was great for having a clear curriculum to start with, and it also gave me a community of homeschooling moms that supported me and kept me accountable when I wasn’t really sure about homeschooling.

Support is indeed essential for homeschooling… Do you utilize a “boxed curriculum” or do you gather sources together to form your own curriculum?

I used Classical Conversations as the core of our curriculum, Teaching Textbooks for Math, and Reading Horizons (my son is dyslexic and this reading resource has been helpful).

Which Homeschooling approach do you follow? (Classical, Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, Unschooling, etc..)

Eclectic for sure. Now that I feel more secure in my approach and what he is learning I feel more confident in making decisions and changes as I need to.

What is the main challenge you face of working with a homeschooling lifestyle?

I think it was just the stress that I put on myself and comparison. I knew that my journey didn’t look like everyone else’s and I started to feel like I wasn’t good enough or spending enough time, etc. But when I really looked back at what we had accomplished this year and how much he had retained, I cut myself some slack and realized that we all look different and that’s ok.

Every homeschooling household is unique, and that’s the beauty of it…What is your best time management tip you would share with a working mom who is just beginning homeschooling?

I’d say find a good mix of self-led work as well as one-on-one teaching so that you’re getting some of the things checked off your school list while also being able to work on other things.

For me, I also choose to homeschool year round so we can take breaks and so there isn’t so much pressure on me during my busy season when I can sometimes do 8-10 events per month.

Thank you Emily for making time for this interview.

You are welcome! I’m glad I could help.

I hope you found Emily’s schedule insightful. As always, “We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us” (Phil. 4:13), but we can’t do them all at once.

Recommended Reading Resource:

Horizons Phonics & Reading Grade 3 Set
By Alpha Omega Publications

A complete, phonics-based reading program, Horizons Phonics & Reading 3 will help young elementary students become increasingly fluent in decoding, spelling, auditory, vocabulary, alphabetization, rhyming, syllabication, and other word-based skills. Concepts are introduced in a multi-step process: an initial lesson, review, reinforcement through sequentially developing vocabulary, and a test after every 10 lessons.

The Teacher’s Guide provides detailed instructions on how to prepare and teach each of the 160 lessons. An overview highlights the most important concepts to cover, a materials needed list ensures everything is ready, teaching tips provide helpful advice, and lesson/activity instruction will guide teachers through the overall lesson. Answer keys (reduced student workbook pages with overlaid answers) are also included.

Two Student Workbooks provide the activities and exercises necessary to supplement the lessons. Full-color pages provide plenty of visual interest and easily separate exercises on the page. Students will underline specified vowels, digraphs & consonants; pluralize words by adding ‘s;’ complete “fill-in-the-blank” exercises; identify antonyms & synonyms, and more. Tests are included for every 10 lessons. 10.75″ x 8.5″. Full color, softcover. Pages are perforated for removal in order to facilitate proper handwriting.

TwoStudent Readers provide selections which correspond to the lessons and student workbooks. Featuring essays, stories, and poems with a variety of delightful illustrations, children will learn about, and enjoy, different literary genres. 8.75″ x 7″.

This Phonics & Reading Grade 3 kit includes:,