It's such a hard balance. In order to challenge a system, you first have to know how to navigate it and understand its pitfalls. But if we succumb to its pressures, we just end up perpetuating a vicious cycle. I absolutely want my daughter to pursue opportunities that will help set her up for a lifetime of stability and meaning, and she might feel pressured to take some AP classes to do so. I hope I can find the right balance to strike, it's just one more challenge for us parents to navigate! Ironically, my parents never pressured me... the pressures I felt were all from school/society. They were ones telling me to relax!