My son's a well-mannered honor roll student who's involved in sports. I never thought that raising my voice was a big deal, since I turned out so well. Recently, I've had several people voice negative opinions on my parenting skills. Should I change the way I am, or tell them to mind their own business?
Isn't the "proof in the pudding"? Your son is an all around great kid. If he were complaining about the boisterous conversations and raised voices of his family, I would pause to consider whether this atmosphere might be negatively affecting his development. But that's not the case. As long as the yelling isn't producing any harm to others' feelings, let's accept this as a matter of family style. If you believe that your boy is being raised with the love and support of his extended family, please don't doubt your parenting abilities. They're just fine. As for the folks who have offered their criticism of this parenting atmosphere, you might say something like, "Sometimes love makes loud noises."