A study of 794 families in South Wales clearly suggests that parents' and children's reported roles in selecting a new school are susceptible to variations over time. A three-step model predicts that simply dividing families into "alert" and "inert,""disconnected" and "privileged," or "parent-centered" and "child-centered" cannot demystify the complex micropolitics of choice in most families. (30 references) (MLH)