Is time the key to healthy families?

We often hear about the importance of quality time in relationships. Time is important in development and success within anything we do. This is what the whole notion of practice is about.

You must put in the effort, which requires time, to get the result you would like to see. This is important to understand for the development of a community, something that, if we are honest, has gotten away from our focus and agenda since the end of the Civil Rights Movement and (so-called) integration.

One man has made it his mission to infuse time into families lives. This man is Brian Kelley, director of All About Family. The mission of All About Family is to effectively bring all individuals from the community together.

Kelley states that his organization is not solely meant to address African Americans. Brian stated his vision as “To include people from different ability levels, ethic and economic backgrounds in fun, educational and encouraging activities taking place within urban, suburban and rural communities.”

All About Family is a grassroots effort to have families spend time together at a low cost. All About Family has been actively engaging in the community for 10 years. Kelley states that there are five goals All About Family has for 2014. Those goals are 1) to help families become more organized, 2) have families become more physically healthy together, 3) have families spend more time together, 4) have teens spend more time with their families, and 5) connect families with other community-based organizations.

Kelley believes that these goals are very obtainable. However, he needs the help of the community. He would like to have anyone and everyone do simple things to improve their connection within their families.

Kelley states, “I would like families to have dinner together, without TV, for one time a week.” This effort is something that is small in action but could be big in impact.

Recently, there have been several research studies stating that television is destroying the self-esteem of Black children. Why is this? What are Black children getting from this behavior that other children are not? These are essential questions we must ask ourselves if we care for the future of Black children and the Black community.

A few things All About Families has done in the past to help develop better relationships within the family unit are bowling, roller skating, family kickball games, hikes, parades and LEGO club meetings. All About Families also hosts Parental Alienation Awareness and Support meetings.

Kelley shares how he really wants families to spend more quality time together. He emphasizes what he means by quality time, saying it’s “when a parent is focused directly on their children for an extended period of time.”

The next big event that All About Family will have is on February 22. The event is titled Family History in the Making. The event will be held at New Creation Baptist Church from 3 pm to 5 pm. The featured activities for the event will be around developing family birthday calendars, family trees, and a family history project. There will also be a meal served at the event. The event is free of charge.

New Creation Baptist Church is located at 1414 E. 48th St., Minneapolis, MN 55417. For more information on the event, to collaborate, or to volunteer, contact Brian Kelley at 612-834-5219 or email him at bkelley@allaboutfam.org. 

Brandon Jones M.A. is a mental health practitioner. He welcomes reader responses to openeyesopenmind@ymail.com or follow him on twitter @UniversalJones.