How do I make this clear to my family full of argumentative type-A personalities without starting world war III?
You can't.
BTDT.
Ultimately, it's just about parenting your kid, not your families.
So yes, prepare your child for the onslaught... and if that isn't enough to stave off existential angst and extreme discomfort in the wake of the tsunami of disapproval from family...
there's always what we did. We stopped going to major family gatherings when my DD was about four.
(I must add, here, that this was at least as much about safety as it was about emotional well-being, but the latter has been a VERY lovely bonus in this department...)
