As well as voicing Meg Griffin in the animated television series, Family Guy, Mila Kunis is known for roles in films including Black Swan, Ted, and Bad Moms. She married fellow actor Ashton Kutcher, her former co-star in That ‘70s Show, in 2015. The couple have two children – daughter Wyatt and son Dimitri.
1Teach them the value of money
Neither Kunis nor Kutcher come from privileged backgrounds. They both struggled while growing up and have worked hard to get where they are today. The couple agree they don’t want their children to assume money is no object.
“It’s a matter of teaching them from a very early age that mommy and daddy may have a dollar, but they are poor,” Kunis has said. She believes in making the distinction between who has money so Wyatt and Dimitri don’t expect everything to be handed to them.
2Encourage a love of literacy
Kunis has talked about how she likes to visit the library as often as possible with her kids. As well as strengthening their reading skills, she says it’s an opportunity for them to learn about new topics or gain more knowledge.
So important is this, that Kunis once revealed the family has library cards for all the towns they visit frequently so they never need to be without books. She says that reading to her kids inside a cool library when it’s a scorching hot day is a great way to spend an afternoon.
3Gadgets can make life easier
Lack of sleep is something most new parents can identify with. But the couple came under fire when they revealed they used a robotic crib to help get their son to sleep. The Snoo Smart Sleeper has a sensor that triggers an oscillating motion when the baby cries.
“The louder the kid cries, the faster it goes and puts the kid back to sleep. It’s incredible,” said Kutcher at the time. The crib alerts parents after a minute if the baby continues to cry. The couple came under fire for being “lazy”, but both said it meant they got much more sleep than when their daughter, Wyatt, was born.
4Routine is important
Both Kunis and Kutcher are adamant about not bringing in outside help to care for their kids. As they have busy lives, this means routines are vital to keep their world running smoothly.
Kunis says they plan each morning the night before, making packed lunches and putting out clothes for the next day. Each takes care of allocated tasks, such as Kunis feeding Dimitri and Kutcher getting Wyatt ready for school. Then the whole family sits down to eat breakfast together.
5How and where you feed is your choice
Kunis believes no mother should be made to feel bad about feeding choices for her baby. She says every woman should be supported to do whatever makes them happy.
“I did nurse my child and literally breastfed everywhere. There were many times when I didn’t bring a cover and just did it in a restaurant, in the subway, in the park, at airports, on planes,” she recalls.
“Why did I do it in public? Because I had to feed my child. She was hungry. I needed to feed her whether it’s out of a bottle or out of my boob, no matter where I was.”
6Dads should be hands-on
It might no longer be the norm that mum stays home with the kids while dad provides for the family. But society’s expectations still place more of the childcare burden on the mother. Kutcher believes that’s wrong. He doesn’t want Wyatt to grow up believing her gender places any limitations on what she can do.
“I would like my daughter to experience a world where gender doesn’t dictate one’s responsibility or limit one’s opportunity,” Kutcher is reported as saying. “Having changing tables in men’s rooms is just a tiny step in the process of rectifying legacy gender discrimination. It’s time to get our hands dirty.”
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