Ashton Kutcher recently caused some controversy when he admitted this during an episode of his podcast Retro — He and his wife, Mila Kunis, are raising their children, daughter Wyatt, now 9, and son Dimitri, now 7, in separate ways. He largely implies that a different approach to each child leans into gender stereotypes, which he has yet to fully escape.
Kutcher admitted to hosts Matt Leinart and Jerry Ferrara that the amount of “toxic masculinity” he experienced in his life may have played a role in the way he raised his children, and he admitted seeing his son Feel more comfortable taking risks and being stimulated more easily.
After the podcast host asked him about his experience as a “girl dad,” Kutcher admitted that having a daughter changed his entire world.
“I don’t know if it equates to being a girl dad or if it equates to her being my first dad, but when I had my daughter, I had never been more in love in my life,” Kutcher said. “Mila and I talked a lot…I’ve never loved someone so much. Ever.
He then explains how he feels differently about safety and adventure for his son and daughter.
“My son, I always say, ‘Yeah, let’s go ahead,'” Kutcher continued. “Yesterday, we were doing wheelies on our bikes in the driveway. Or, it was like, ‘See if you can jump down four flights of stairs,'” he said.
“[With] My daughter, I just want to protect her. When my son cries, I think, ‘Okay, what did we learn? Let’s get on with it. But when my daughter cries, my heart leaves my body and I can never put it back.
Kutcher acknowledged that there may be a lot of “toxic masculinity” at work here, but his wife Kunis also takes a different approach to their children.
“She was very strict with our daughter, and she was very strict with our son,” Kutcher said. “I think we balance each other out that way.”
I guess that’s one way to look at their parenting! Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis are very candid about their parenting choices for their two children. Just like a few years ago, the couple said they only bathed their children when they saw dirt on them. Of course this is a choice!
