Just a busy 13-y.o. boy

I have a son, 13, whom I can’t quite figure out. He is impressive with his combination of initiative and entrepreneurial spirit (both of which we have had to work on exercising in appropriate ways)! He is fun-loving and a hard worker. He has talked about wanting to take the reins of his own schooling, and I think he could be successful in a lot of ways. The problem is he still has a 13-year-old brain. He is constantly on the go. He fidgets, and has to be moving all the time. If I read to him, he is busy. If we watch a movie, he is busy. If he reads on his own he fidgets with a pen in his hand. He has decided he likes certain academic subjects and that he’s not good at the rest. I believe it’s a mental block of his own making, but he doesn’t have much patience for math and science, yet he will focus and do well with writing and literature. It’s like he can’t bother making time for things that don’t come easily to him. He can be quite impatient, finishing tasks before others, and when we hike, bike, or walk, he is always to be found leading the group. Yet he can slow down and be really sweet with a young child, for example. My question is about his academics. I homeschool him and on one hand want to turn him loose, because he has great potential, yet I know he still needs guidance to address holes in his education. I feel like the guidance I try to offer is frustrating his progress. I fit nicely in a “check the box” mold. He does not, and I don’t know how to speak his language and I don’t want to hold him back from what he can do. Any ideas? Thanks.

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