An Unbreakable Bond
By Jack Fenner
Many parents say that having their first child is a life changing experience. It’s said to be one that makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself. This feeling is shared by High school Teacher Andrew DeBella ever since he had his first child while he was teaching the 2018-19 school year.
While managing a class and having a daughter at the same time may sound like a stress overload, Mr. DeBella was able to pull it off, and is thankful for all the things teaching has done to prepare him for his first child.
DeBella says, “I think that starting teaching before parenting reframed the way I thought of parenting in general. I get to see parenting on a larger scale because I see hundreds of kids, who are not my own, grow up and graduate.”
This understanding that Mr. DeBella gets from teaching is a beneficial one to his relationship with his daughter. Unlike most parents, DeBella is able to get a more nuanced view of parenting because he is able to meet all kinds of kids from different backgrounds.
Another shaping experience for Mr. DeBella’s view on parenting was the untimely loss of one of his students during the same year he had his daughter.
DeBella expressed, “Having the experience of losing a student to an accident put things like time into perspective to the point where I frequently think about the value I am giving my time when I’m with my daughter.”
This tragic experience has given Mr. DeBella a greater understanding of the importance of cherishing every moment he has with his daughter.
Looking on to his daughter’s future, Mr. DeBella feels that teaching all kinds of kids has prepared him in a special way.
DeBella says, “It will help me be more understanding with her circumstances because of the sheer amount of circumstances that I see in the classroom.”
In Mr. DeBella’s teaching career, all the experiences that he’s had have assisted him and will continue to assist him in his parenting journey. The bond that has been formed with his daughter throughout these experiences now seems nearly unbreakable.