Heather Magoon

I am a list keeper myself, an engineer by trade.  I enjoy the documentation process, and feel lost without lists. Not just lists for what I plan to do, but I like to see lists of what I have accomplished, however small the task.    I found myself in the exact same situation a year ago.   My lists and documentation were driving activities for suggestions, and impacting how I responded to my older child's decisions.  If it didn't make my documentation look and feel complete and nice and neat and tidy, it didn't feel right. 
 
Due to where my daughter's birthday falls, I had an extra year before I needed to comply with state requirements regarding reporting and keeping a portfolio.  I took that year to back off from my list.  To observe and be present, and to takes notes only after so much time had passed that it became a little fuzzy.  But, I remained conscious of everything going on, and after a few months started a flow chart.  A flow chart that was more of a glimpse of our learning path at 50,000 feet.   As of 3 weeks ago I have had to start my documentation for real, but I have a completely different mindset as to why, and that is to fulfill my legal requirements and to do nothing more than that.
 
My earlier documentation was for so much more, even though no one saw it.  And while I can't speak to what your state requires of you, maybe some of what I realized speaks to you as well. 
 
I realized my documentation was my new project. - It is not. 
 
It became a new tool to use in proving others wrong when they questioned the learning going on, when it appears to them that they are only watching tv or playing video games.  -  Nice to say see, I told you, but not necessary to fulfill my state's requirements.  I can't use the documentation to prove to school administrators how wrong they have it.  They won't read my documentation and say, hey, maybe we're a little off.  I can't change the world with this documentation.
 
It became a way for me to document what felt like my accomplishments, to say "hey, look how awesome we are".   -- I don't need recognition for this document, I need to find other projects that are satisfying that fulfill that sense of accomplishment if it is lacking.  I can't tie my identity to this document of our daily lives. 
 
I know all that might sound a little extreme, and I didn't see it at first until I stepped back and relaxed.  I love documentation, and crave approval for my efforts.  This is not the time and place for that, I need only to meet my state's requirements. 
 
So, is it possible to shift some of your other documented activities to other days, and leave out "watched <tv show>" even if that is what you did. (And I'm positive there was a ton of learning going on, that you could list without even mentioning the show and just mentioning your observations and things that occurred because of the show) The entire day doesn't have to be documented, just enough to fulfill the requirements, or shift some activities from another day if you find there are days you can't find enough to say.   
 
Heather