4-yr-old and mom spent 14 months in homeless shelter—then her greatest surprise left him wide-eyed

A positive change in a parent's life can lead to a big change in their kid's life, too. A mom who had lived at a homeless shelter with her four-year-old for 14 months achieved such a milestone when she moved into a new home with her son. It was a big moment for the mom who excitedly showed her son around the house, but it was also a happy memory for the kid who looked around with wide eyes, as seen in the video shared by the mom, Casey (@autumpoetry on TikTok). The clip received over 4.5 million views on the platform.

"Watch his reaction to seeing our new apartment for the first time," the text overlay of the video read. "Are you ready to see our new home?" the mom asked as she stood outside the door with her son. "Yes," the little boy answered with enthusiasm. The moment Casey opened the door, the boy entered the house and looked around. Soon enough, he stood at the centre of the room and stared with wide eyes before turning towards his mom with a big smile on his face. The woman shared that there was nothing inside the house because she was just giving a tour of the place to her little guy. "You want to look around?" The boy nodded a little and his mom encouraged him to go ahead.

The boy looked confused for a moment and didn't know where to go. "I had to encourage him to look around more a few times because he didn't know there was much more to see than one room," the text overlay of the video revealed. She then started showing him all the spaces one by one. First up was their living room with big windows and a high ceiling. The kid jumped around as they went to see the bathroom. The mom pointed out that one of those rooms would be his own. Finally, they went to the mom's room, which had a makeshift mattress to sleep on until their new furniture arrived. "What do you think?" the mom asked her son and his happiness said it all.

The caption read, "Just looking back on how far my little guy and I have come." People who watched the clip joined in the celebration of the mom and kid's big moment in the comments section. @sallyfinn0 wrote, "I absolutely love this video, thank you for sharing for so many reasons. It's important to show people what is possible and that there are places out there that are willing to help support you on your journey." @larochelle71 commented, "I love the deep window sills, perfect for plants if you enjoy them. Congratulations on your new apartment, your little guy is precious."

@clarehouselancaste remarked, "This was all you! We were just there for support. You worked hard and stayed strong and focused. Even when things looked bleak, you continued on and that alone shows character. We couldn’t be more proud. Clare House staff will continue to support you and your family in any way we can. You’ll always have friends at Clare House." In one of the comments, the mom shared, "I hinted at this, but it was a complete surprise for him! I moved in with the help of shelter staff while he was at daycare. He had a happy meal for dinner and ran around the apartment. It was the best day." In another video, the mom shared a GoFundMe that would help her and her son get their "forever home."

You can follow Casey (@autumpoetry) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.