Homeschool Conundrum

Oh, homeschool.  We're three days in, and I'm all kinds of conflicted.

My oldest son is supposed to be doing pre-k this year, but I bought straight up kindergarten curriculum for him.  He already knows shapes and colors, how to read, write and count to 100, all the 50 states and their capitals and the planets.  He's a boy wonder who doesn't really *need* the educational part of school.  All he needs is a couple YouTube videos and some books and he's a self-motivated sponge. 

He does, however, really, really, really need practice going with the flow.  If he's not interested in it, he wanders mentally, often physically.  Keeping him on task can be hard, and he needs more breaks than other kids his age.  As my husband and I joke, he stores everything to his brain's hard-drive, which takes longer than the flash drive (learn it and lose it) style I adapted to excel through my school years. 

I struggle with homeschool because I want to really enjoy all the benefits of homeschool. Give the kid a break when he needs it.  Stop for a snack mid-lesson, then finish up as soon as the snack is over. I want it to be relaxed and easy.  Structured, but flexible to accommodate his needs.  Avoid meltdowns (the uncontrollable screaming that happens when things get hard and he's had too much but wants desperately to finish the task at hand but just *can't.*  It looks a lot like a tantrum to get his way, but there's no manipulation in it, just a whole lot of internal struggle.)

Anyway, I want to gear everything towards his learning style and learning needs.  I mean, he's clearly going to excel academically if I do.  But at the same time, I know one of my major goals this year is to help him be prepared for the classroom.  To learn how to be upset without *screaming* and/or running away.  To learn how to let other people bend the rules slightly without it being a catastrophe for his brain.

So, I feel torn.  I know I have an entire yeaaaaaaaar to work with him, but I can't be all chillax one day and strict the next.  I have to find the balance between when to push and when to give him what he needs.  And I have no idea where it is.