{Homeschool} Change in Plans

By the time I figure out how homeschooling is going to work for us, Kendall will be 30.

I love love love to plan. I am a scheduler & a list maker. This is what I do. Now, things hardly ever go as planned, and I don't usually check everything off my prized lists. Even though that's the case, I find it very important to have an idea of where I'm headed for the day/week/month.  I honestly think people who don't plan might have lost their minds. It's definitely a right brain/left brain issue. Guess which side I predominately think with?

The rules in Georgia state that each homeschool student must "attend" 180 days of school. A day must consist of 4.5 hours of instruction, including the basic subjects. Easy, right? We do our 180 days and much more than 4.5 hours a day. We do a year-round 4 day school week, but we're not doing school every single week. We do take weeks off from time to time. Also, during the Christmas rush of my business, the boy is more or less left to fend for himself for about a month. He's 11, he can feed/clothe/water himself, right? 

The extent of my daily planning for homeschool only consists of the things Kendall has to get done that day. We do start around 8:30am and I have him work until he's done with the list. I don't keep a schedule such as "at 11am, we do math, at 12 we have lunch, etc.." I think that would be a waste of my energy, given that I have one child. If I had multiple children, I think the day might have to be slightly more structured. I do make my list of things he must do for about two weeks at a time.

My point in all of this is that I think I have to be a tad more flexible and embrace the homeschool way of life. I've tended to want to have Kendall sit and do school at prescribed hours & days for the past 1 1/2 years, and I'm not sure it's working. Most days are frustrating for both of us. I think expecting both of us to stay focused and engaged for 7ish hours (with 1 1/2 hrs for lunch) is a bit too much.

So what I'm thinking is that I will still expect the same amount of work to be done during the week, but I will spread it out over more days. Kendall will probably end up qualifying for 200 days of school this way, but the point is not to satisfy the state. It's to make sure my child is prepared for high school, college & life. Any words of advice or encouragement on schedules & amount of work are greatly appreciated in advance!