Ukrainian-born Mila Kunis knows how tough being a mum can be – so much so that she signed on to star in Bad Moms in 2016, and then its sequel, Bad Moms 2. She shares daughter Wyatt Elizabeth and son Dimitri Portwood with her equally famous husband Ashton Kutcher. And while her young family lives a pretty charmed life, she’ll never forget the struggles her own mum lived through while raising her.
1 // HOW DO YOU FIGHT SOCIETY’S PRESSURES TO BE A PERFECT MUM?
As mothers we need to be able to admit that we can’t be perfect all the time. We have to accept that we’re going to make mistakes. I’ve learnt that from my own experience as a mother and that’s why making Bad Moms gave me the chance to bond with the other women in the cast who are all mothers and have gone through the same thing themselves.
2 // HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOURSELF AS A MUM?
I think I’m a pretty good mum. I’m still learning and discovering different things about looking after [them].
3 // WHAT HAVE YOUR SCARIEST MOMENTS AS A MOTHER BEEN THUS FAR?
I was driving along the [freeway] to meet my husband at work and I remember being in a really good mood. I looked at Wyatt in the rear view mirror and I could see she was happy, too. But then I turned white when I saw she wasn’t strapped into her baby seat. I pulled over on the highway, trying to stay very calm, strapped her in, and then just started driving again. I told myself that I would never tell this story to anyone and that it was a mistake I would never make again. But as soon as I arrived and met my husband I burst into tears. I was so upset and just kept telling myself, “I f—ed up, I f—ed up.” Then last month I went to get Wyatt out of the backseat of our car that my husband had put her into and I saw that she hadn’t been strapped in. So I was like, “Thank you!” I wasn’t alone.
4 // YOUR FAMILY EMIGRATED FROM RUSSIA (UKRAINE) WITH VERY LITTLE MONEY. HOW HAS THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE INFLUENCED YOU?
I watched my parents work very hard to give me and our family the best possible life. That teaches you a lot about the world and your attitude towards everything. Their example taught me to be very responsible and to be motivated to succeed at anything I do in life. I also learnt how important it is to be caring and supportive
of your family and friends. Growing up under those circumstances makes you feel very strongly about how important your family is and how you need to be very close and caring for one another. That’s how I want my children to feel also.
“As mothers, we need to be able to admit that we can’t be perfect all the time. We have to accept that we’re going to make mistakes.” – Mila Kunis
