there's some good life skills in this Secrets book that might be nice. I really liked the exercise on that part.

I am considering having both of my kids learn chemistry this year.

I think it'll be fine. Reading non-fiction to them can still give them the richness of language

I've been the worst blogger ever for about two months

I've told my son that he may ignore quizzing, and he does.

There are horrible atrocities all over the planet. How can you teach about Rome and Greece or England or China or Mali without getting into or ignoring some nasty events?