When I was deciding how to organize the site I kept thinking about my ongoing journey ... what my questions were when I first started, how my thinking about the concepts evolved, and I realized how each step seemed to build on the previous one. If I read about ideas too far along the path, they seemed very radical and I wasn't sure I'd ever do that! But, a few months later I understood and lived the principles behind them and the seemingly "out there" ideas were just a logical extension.

Breaking the process into stages is of course artificial, but there seems to be a distinct change in focus for each stage, and hence different questions and observations. It is just a way for me to organize the information. Feel free to read through them all! No permission required. But, if you get too far ahead of yourself, don't say I didn't warn you!

Stage 1 - Getting Started

At this stage you are in serious information gathering mode. Something spurred you to investigate unschooling - bad school or school-at-home experiences, your kid(s) are reaching school age and you cringe at the thought of sending them to school etc. Whatever it is doesn't really matter at this point (and will matter less and less as time goes on). You understand that kids learn best when they are interested in something but most of the concepts of unschooling are likely new. They may seem quite radical at first, but there's a good chance they will resonate with you if you've gotten even this far in your investigation. You may be looking for the "rules" of unschooling, but you'll soon come to realize - there aren't any! In this section I try to cover many of the initial questions and ideas and give you some resources to help you get started.

Stage 2 - Getting Settled

At this stage you've taken the leap into unschooling with your kid(s). You've been at it for months, maybe years, and you are convinced it's working well with your family - though you have your ups and downs! You see your kids learning and making connections everywhere, and you're no longer surprised - though you're often amazed. The philosophy seems to be leaking into other areas of your life that you never before imagined were related to learning. You live by your principles (with some tweaking here and there), and have come to realize that rules just get in the way of real learning. You begin to understand deep in your heart the phrase "living joyfully"!

Stage 3 - Getting *There*

Okay, *there* is unique to each family (it fits my naming theme!), but what is similar between these experienced unschoolers is a confidence from having "been there, done that". You've seen learning happen anywhere and everywhere. Living and learning is the name of the game and if your kids find classroom-style situations that will serve their purpose they take them without getting caught up in the quest for grades. They choose to be there, know what they want to learn and just do it - with enthusiasm! And if you ever reply to "why?" with "because I said so!", your kids are likely to be found rolling on the floor with laughter (joined shortly thereafter by you) ... or running to medicine chest to find the thermometer - you're obviously running a high fever!

Kelly Lovejoy has written a great article discussing the stages of unschooling in some detail and how they looked in her family. Here's a link if you'd like to read it: The Three Stages of Unschooling