In a UNICEF “My Parenting Journey” video shared on Instagram, Millie Bobby Brown opens up about the overwhelming reality of raising her adopted daughter with husband Jake Bongiovi—how she checks in with her mother for reassurance, the support she still has whe
Millie Bobby Brown is getting candid about motherhood in a way she hasn’t before—letting the “perfect moments” fall away and showing what the days can really feel like.
In a UNICEF video shared on Instagram as part of its My Parenting Journey series. the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador talked about raising her adopted daughter alongside her husband. Jake Bongiovi. She didn’t try to soften it. “People say they love their children. I don’t understand how that much happens in my heart. I don’t know how the feeling is so overwhelming. It’s just incomprehensible.”.
Brown and Bongiovi tied the knot in May 2024. Their life as parents has followed—leading to the adoption in the summer of 2025. when Brown became a mother to a daughter through adoption. And even with a bond she describes as deeply connected, she said motherhood can still leave her second-guessing herself.
“When they are doing something and you’re like, ‘Is that normal?. Do they do that?’ and you know, I’ll call my [mom],” Brown said. In her words, her mother is her emergency line: “She’s just like my 911. ‘[Mom], did I do this?. Did my siblings do this?’ And she is like, ‘Oh, that’s completely normal. They do that all the time,’” Brown explained.
That reassurance matters, Brown added, because there are times she feels left without support—especially when she can’t reach her mother. She said her mother-in-law guides her in a similar way, “the same way” her mother does.
The actress also spoke about how closeness shows up in everyday life. “Our love language together is food… She always wants to try what I’m having and I’m always eating what she’s having,” she said, describing a relationship that’s built on small, shared moments.
Motherhood has changed her, too. Brown said raising a daughter is “a real responsibility” and that she tries to learn constantly—“and feed it into her life.” She also said she wants her daughter to grow up knowing women can achieve their goals and dreams. and that supporting other women “sets a standard” and teaches her not to “settle for anything less.”.
For Brown and Bongiovi, the approach is simple, even when the days feel intense. She said their one parenting rule is: “[Taking] it one day at a time.” “Today was today and tomorrow is going to be tomorrow, and let’s just sleep,” she added.
The couple announced their baby’s arrival in a joint Instagram post in August 2025, writing: “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption. We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy.”
In the UNICEF video, Brown’s message is clear: motherhood isn’t only a celebration—it’s also a constant learning curve, a responsibility that can feel overwhelming, and a journey she’s taking step by step, with love, food, and a phone call when she needs reassurance.
Millie Bobby Brown UNICEF My Parenting Journey Jake Bongiovi motherhood adopted daughter parenting rule Instagram Goodwill Ambassador