'At 15, I was forced to leave home. Now a mum-of-four, I'm grateful.'

I am thankful daily. For my morning coffee, a seat on the train, interactions at work, my children doing their chores, an easy sleep, a long weekend, the list goes on and on.

But as a teenager, my life looked very different. Growing up in an extremely challenging household, I had to fend for myself. At the young age of 15, I was forced to leave home and found myself homeless and completely alone.

In those days, my gratitude was for things that helped me survive day to day. Simple things, like having food in my stomach, the kindness of people allowing me to couch surf, the Kset trains for giving me a safe place to rest in between days at school and the blessing of not being attacked while doing it tough.

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As much as I desperately tried to hide what was happening and continue on normally in my school life, I was quickly spiraling and feeling scared, alone and completely helpless. I longed for a safe place to live, rather than just trying to survive day to day. My school work began to suffer, as I tried to keep up without a computer or school supplies. Eventually my local social worker intervened after my school flagged their concerns and I was given a place at Stepping Stone House, where my life changed forever.

The walls of Stepping Stone House offered stability, care, connection and a place I could call home. My years there allowed me to gain life skills, find passions like dancing and the ability to open myself up to others. One of my biggest realisations during that time was that I wanted to be an adult that a child like me could rely on. This gave me a driving purpose for the future and began my journey to motherhood and having a beautiful family and home of my own.

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While I wouldn't wish my start in life to any child, I am grateful for what my experience and growth has given me. Now as a mum to four kids, this is how I teach my kids about compassion and remind them how fortunate they are.

Giving our time generously

As a family, we make it a priority to volunteer regularly to help others in need. This is an important lesson for children to show that we are blessed and enriched by what we can do for others. We help feed the rough sleepers of Parramatta and we have used our Christmas to volunteer at soup kitchens.

Each year we attend and partake in Sleep Under the Stars, a fundraiser for Stepping Stone House. This helps to remind my children that simple things like a place to sleep or a roof over their head, is not something everyone has and youth homelessness in children as young as 12 continues to be a critical issue.

Watch: 4 minute gratitude meditation. Post continues after video.

Shifting the focus on consumerism.

Kids today are constantly bombarded with messages about having the best new and trending things. In our family, we try to focus less on consumerism and more on how we can help others by donating our things to those more in need. We regularly go through cupboards to donate clothing, food, toys, books and in the process, I ask my kids to help think about if they really need it, or if they think there are others who may need it more.

Quality time together.

At a home level, we take the opportunity each week to play board games and connect together as a family. Aside from the importance of quality time and appreciating the special bond we have, we also use the opportunity to tell each other what we are grateful for in the past week.

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Practicing daily gratitude.

It's important as a parent to model gratitude, and I show my kids daily that I am thankful. I am grateful for our relationships with each other, for our ability to connect with honesty and love and for each day we spend laughing, crying and just being.

Most crucially I am thankful that Stepping Stone House gave us the opportunity to be a family, because without their support I have no idea where I would be and I may not have the joys of my life, my partner and our four children.

Stepping Stone House's 10th annual Sleep Under the Stars fundraising event is set to take place on Friday, October 25, at the Stargazer Lawn in Barangaroo. Register at www.sleepunderthestars.com.au/cms/register to take part or donate. 

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