Beautiful Mother's Day Ad Honors The Sacrifices Single Moms Make

"If I want to cry, I cry at night.”

Parenting is an immense challenge, but doing it on your own adds an extra layer of difficulty.

In honor of Mother’s Day, UNICEF made a sweet video spotlighting Kristilee Augustine, a single mom in Belize who is raising her 4-year-old daughter Zoe alone. In the video, she talks about the struggles and blessings of her motherhood experience. 

“The hardest thing is doing it on by myself,” Kristilee says. “But I never let Zoe see me break. If I want to cry, I cry at night.”

Still, she notes, “I wouldn’t change being a mom for anything.”

The video is part of UNICEF’s “Early Moments Matter” campaign, which emphasizes how children’s environments and experiences in their first years can affect their wellbeing as adults. 

Support HuffPost

At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.

Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.

Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your will go a long way.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

This Is Single Parenting
(01 of25)
Open Image Modal
@showtimesays: The life of a single father...
(02 of25)
Open Image Modal
@Josamey44: Doing everything with my kids & LOVING every minute of it. That's what a #singleparent does.
(03 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by abogada_boricua
(04 of25)
Open Image Modal
@designarchives: #singleparent right before he was born.
(05 of25)
Open Image Modal
@pamsdoll: #singleparent #goofy #awesome #divorcedoula
(06 of25)
Open Image Modal
@Maizz79: We laugh together! #singleparent
(07 of25)
Open Image Modal
@imchrisperez: My son is raising my grandson alone.
(08 of25)
Open Image Modal
@franklinscout: raised by one and was one
(09 of25)
Open Image Modal
@Speakezy916: this I what being a single mom looks like to me #singleparent
(10 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by @Twitchytits
(11 of25)
Open Image Modal
@BaxterPamela: It's all about love, consistency and trust! #singleparent
(12 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by @BaxterPamela
(13 of25)
Open Image Modal
@JEAlford: #singleparent is simply putting one foot in front of the other to be sure your kid is taken care of.
(14 of25)
Open Image Modal
@tybeaux67: This is the hardest thing I have ever done! And I would not trade it for world #singleparent
(15 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by @carlaandrews201
(16 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by @carlaandrews201
(17 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by JuicyM907
(18 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by Chris Watson
45th Birthday Pic(19 of25)
Open Image Modal
Atlantean67:
The best way to spend my birthday!
(20 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by Catherine, single mom to Emily (3), Annabella (4) and Benjamin (6)
(21 of25)
Open Image Modal
@WendeeGM: This proud #singleparent took her kid to see Obama on Election Eve...
(22 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by ChloePiene
(23 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by ChloePiene
(24 of25)
Open Image Modal
Submitted by Jessica Patterson
(25 of25)
Open Image Modal
@Shelley A. Dixon: I have been a single parent for 18 1/2 yrs. My daughter and I have always been tight, but we are closer than ever now that she's in college. I wouldn't trade the years raising her alone for a million dollars! She is an awesome kid! Here is a picture of us @ her college's football game a couple weeks ago. :)

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE