[ViolaMum]

Originally Posted by Soliloquy

Expect things to NOT go smoothly. Just roll with it. Sometimes I pretend I'm the hired help so I can keep my cool. Truly.

If you can get outside, do.

At the start, focus more on the routine and moving from one thing to the next rather than what is actually being done during that time. So, if he's supposed to make his bed and pick up his room after breakfast, set at timer and focus on engaging in that activity, rather than doing that activity to completion or even doing it well.

Have set times for snacks and/or set areas for eating. Don't start a free for all with snacking.

If you want a set curriculum where it's all online and planned out for you. Monarch has a 30 day free trial. They will populate the calendar for you, grade most of the things, etc. The regular lessons are a little dry but the projects are pretty fun. If you decide to continue it I think it's $25 a month for all 5 subjects (Bible, Math, Soc St, Lang Arts, Science).
https://www.aop.com/freetrial/enterpromocode

Set up your routine, however you want that to look, and you'll have a structure to fall back on. For a 6 year old, alternating structured time with free play time helps a lot. And don't forget to leave time for YOU. You've got work to do and you need a little alone time. (It's perfectly ok to get to the end of the day and tell your kidlet that you can't help with the math she's been avoiding all day because you have to make dinner.)

The snacking can get incessant. We needed to have relatively set meal times - I have two that won't eat and would melt down and two that would not stop eating all day. I have a "Food stays in the Kitchen" rule and a "Food and Projects Don't Mix" rule (cream cheese in the paints? YUCK Butter and crumbs in my books? DOUBLE YUCK.)

I make my kids do art work in a designated spot - the kitchen table or the plastic kid table - to keep messes contained as much as possible.

Also, this is a great age to do open-ended projects or activities tied to the books you're reading. Knowing a fun project is coming after the chores are done can increase cooperation. This is a great time to start seeds, for instance.

When I read Little House on the Prairie to my older kids, they wanted to make Maple candy. They taught the younger ones to make it and now we can't get through the winter without making it at least once. (We crush ice in the blender and use that in place of snow.) You can google just about any kids book and find a project someone has done.

Many libraries have fantastic digital offerings, too. Mine just upped our check out limits for digital items and added a couple of services that I'm excited to try. (Britannica and Gale for research.)