Mila Kunis, reflecting on her journey as a mother in recent interviews, has offered a candid look at the joys, challenges, and unexpected lessons learned in motherhood—a topic central to her life with husband Ashton Kutcher and their two children. Mila Kunis motherhood insights shed light on navigating fame, family, and personal growth while raising children in the public eye.
Discovering Love in Unexpected Places
Mila Kunis never anticipated building a life with Ashton Kutcher, her former That ’70s Show costar. Their real-life romance, sparked years after their on-screen partnership, came as a shock to Kunis, their families, and friends alike. They reconnected at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards, nearly six years after the Fox sitcom concluded. Mila acknowledged that instantly, she sensed things had changed, describing their renewed spark as something difficult to express.
“If anybody ever goes and says that they saw this coming, they are a filthy liar,”
Mila shared with WSJ. Style.
“My parents were in shock. I was in shock. There was no version of this where someone at one point said, ‘Oh yeah, I always knew.’”
—Mila Kunis, WSJ. Style
Addressing claims that their relationship was predictable, Mila added,
“’The f–k are you talking about? There’s no way.’”
—Mila Kunis, WSJ. Style
After tying the knot in 2015, Mila and Ashton embraced married life with their two children, Wyatt and Dimitri. Their comedic approach and youthful perspective, Kunis believes, keep their bond strong. In her words:
“I still feel like we’re very young and we feel very young. I think that’s where the spark is. We laugh at everything.”
—Mila Kunis, E! News
Reflections on Marriage and Family
While grateful for their enduring friendship and relationship, Mila downplays the notion of it being a milestone achievement:
“It’s only 10 years. It’s not really that long. I look at my parents, and they’ve been together for 50. That’s long.”
—Mila Kunis, E! News
Ashton Kutcher, meanwhile, considers family to be his greatest accomplishment:
“The dream role is the role I play as a father and a husband. My life is so good. I love spending time with my kids. I love my wife so much.”
—Ashton Kutcher, E! News
“I’m the most fortunate human being that I know, and I could take all my problems, put them in the middle of the room with everybody else on the planet’s problems, and I’d go get mine back because I love my problems and I love my joys.”
—Ashton Kutcher, E! News
Mistakes and Apologies: Motherhood’s Humbling Moments
Acknowledging imperfection, Mila Kunis shared stories about apologizing to her children, particularly when she overreacts. She described taking time to cool off before returning to her child and discussing what happened openly.
“The only thing I’ve ever felt guilty about, and I actually apologized to my 3-year-old, is when I overreact. I’ll walk away, and I’ll come back, and I’ll sit her down and I’m like, ‘I’m really sorry. Mommy overreacted. Do you forgive me?’ And she’s like, ‘Yeah, I forgive you.’ Whether she understands what just happened or not, I want her to know that I’m as flawed as she is.”
—Mila Kunis, People
Kunis encourages mothers to accept their imperfections:
“It’s so taboo to be like, ‘I feel like I’m not perfect.’ You just have to know you’re doing the best you can, and that’s more than enough. I know I’m the best mom Wyatt’s ever had, and I’m the best mom for her.”
—Mila Kunis, A Plus
Finding Balance and the Need for Space
The pandemic stressed many families, and Kunis openly admitted craving a break from parenting. She accepted a joint Super Bowl commercial gig with Ashton Kutcher simply to step out of her routine.
“It was in the peak of the pandemic, it made no sense logically. I was dying to get out of the house.”
—Mila Kunis, Ellen DeGeneres Show
Joking, she added,
“I got two days off from my kids, I’m a horrible mom!”
—Mila Kunis, Ellen DeGeneres Show
Facing Parenting Failures and Growth
Kunis recalled a difficult moment when her initial reaction to her child being bullied was to encourage retaliation, a stance her husband didn’t support.
“Well, here’s a story that’s about to get me in trouble. There was a little kid in my kids’ preschool that wasn’t very kind and pushed my daughter.”
—Mila Kunis, Ellen DeGeneres Show
“I was like, ‘Push her back next time. You push her back, and you say, ‘No, thank you,’ and you walk away,’”
Mila confessed. Continuing, she reflected,
“Don’t push ’em off of a ladder or off a swing or off of a slide, but on the ground, even Steven? You push ’em back.’ I’d say that that’s a parenting fail.”
—Mila Kunis, Ellen DeGeneres Show
Grooming Routines That Sparked Debate
Kunis and Kutcher sparked conversations about parenting norms when they revealed they do not bathe their children daily—unless visibly necessary.
“When I had children, I also didn’t wash them every day. I wasn’t the parent that bathed my newborns—ever.”
—Mila Kunis, Armchair Expert
Kutcher remarked,
“Here’s the thing—if you can see the dirt on ’em, clean ’em. Otherwise, there’s no point.”
—Ashton Kutcher, Armchair Expert
Open Doors and No Boundaries at Home
The family embraces an open-door policy, even when it comes to bathroom use, a reality Kunis never thought she’d accept.
“It’s just one of those where, for better or for worse, as a family and the kids have all kind of embodied bodily function as a very standard norm.”
—Mila Kunis, E! News
Explaining her surprise at this new norm, she said,
“I’d never thought that I would be the person that was able to go to the bathroom with the door open.”
—Mila Kunis, E! News
Nights Out—Redefined by Parenthood
Kunis humorously described her lowered tolerance since becoming a mother. On a rare night out, she was surprised by the impact of just a few drinks.
“My girlfriends and I went out to dinner a month ago and I got home at 10:30 from a dinner and I had three penicillins which is a delicious, delicious beverage. [I was] hammered. Three drinks, I am now a very cheap date.”
—Mila Kunis, E! News
Date nights with Ashton Kutcher are also tamer than before:
“No, because in the morning we still have kids. Your date night can’t be that wild because at 7 in the morning you still have, ‘Mama’ and you’re like, ‘What? I’m up.’”
—Mila Kunis, E! News
Embracing Goofiness as a Parent
Kunis and Kutcher try not to take themselves too seriously at home, favoring a playful approach to parenting.
“I think we’re silly at home. We’re very goofy parents when it comes to our children, but that don’t have skill. I think that’s just being idiots. I think we’re very comfortable with ourselves acting a fool at home, but maybe that comes from the idea of being comfortable in your own body, and in your own skin, and in your mind and not having a fear of making a fool of yourself.”
—Mila Kunis, Teach Me Something New podcast
Their willingness to please their daughter, even when it means donning a costume, is another reflection of their parenting style.
“This is what sucks about having a kid: They tell you what to do and you listen. Because you pick your battles, and you’re like, ‘Well, I guess this is not one of them.’”
—Mila Kunis, Jimmy Kimmel Show
On Halloween, her daughter’s request won out:
“I was trying to convince my daughter, ‘Don’t you want to be Batman or Superman or something awesome?’ She’s like, ‘No, mom! I’m going to be Cinderella!’ I was like, ‘Eww! Gross! OK!’”
—Mila Kunis, Jimmy Kimmel Show
Ultimately, Kunis complied:
“No, kiddo. Mama’s not Elsa. Guess what mama was? Mama was Elsa. I sucked it up, you guys. I had a blonde wig on and everything.”
—Mila Kunis, Jimmy Kimmel Show
Learning to Let Go and Accept Children’s Independence
Reflecting further, Kunis acknowledged that children develop their own personalities, independent of their parents’ influence.
“Another important thing to learn is that kids have a personality that has nothing to do with you. I have a really sweet daughter. She wants to hug all the other kids. I didn’t teach her to be sweet. It has nothing to do with me. I’ve realized you can control only so much.”
—Mila Kunis, Glamour
The Depths of Parental Love
On the topic of unconditional love, Kunis jokingly stated the limits—or lack thereof—of her affection for her children.
“If she murdered somebody in cold blood, I would love her. I would be like, ‘That’s okay.’ It’s so weird, but when she was born, I was like, ‘This is the most incredible thing that’s ever happened.’”
—Mila Kunis, Ellen DeGeneres Show
The Emotional Challenge of Returning to Work
After her daughter Wyatt was born in 2014, Kunis took a significant hiatus from acting. Returning to work was a deeply emotional experience for her, one that left her in tears. She spoke candidly about the strangeness of leaving a child after time spent as a stay-at-home mom, a feeling other mothers can relate to.
Redefining Ambitions and the Joys of Motherhood
In a Reddit AMA during her career break, Kunis explained how parenthood changed her perspective:
“It is the most life-changing experience you can have, in my opinion. Everything changed. I am proud to be a stay-at-home mom. I have no desire to be in front of the camera. I find her to be the most challenging job I’ve had.”
—Mila Kunis, Reddit AMA
Navigating Postpartum Wardrobe Realities
Adjusting to physical changes after pregnancy and breastfeeding, Kunis admitted to struggling with finding clothes that fit comfortably.
“Nothing fits in these dresses anymore.”
—Mila Kunis, E! News
Supporting Other Mothers and Rejecting Competition
Rejecting mommy shaming and maternal competition, Kunis urges women to support each other, stressing that the time spent as a new mother is fleeting.
“It’s the competitive energy that is so destructive. You only are a mommy in this way for such a brief amount of time anyway that you don’t wanna look back and be like, ‘Why did I care about that stupid nonsense?’”
—Mila Kunis, PopSugar
The Controversy Around Breastfeeding in Public
Kunis has faced criticism for breastfeeding her children in public and addressed the stigma in candid interviews.
“It didn’t matter to me what other people thought. That’s what I chose to do, but I think it’s unfortunate that people are so hard on women who choose
