Mila Kunis Admits She's Felt Like A Failure At Parenting, Is Literally All Of Us

She also gets super honest about the pressures we put on ourselves as parents

Talk to any parent these days, and you’ll often see a common denominator of perfectionism among all of us. We strive so hard to be everything to our kids, all of the time, and to almost out-do our own parents and individual upbringings. Even celebrities aren’t immune to the pressures we place on ourselves as moms, as Mila Kunis recently pointed out.

The Bad Moms star may be a super famous celebrity (and insanely beautiful, obvs), but boy, does she hit the nail on the head when it comes to how hard we can be on ourselves — especially the first time around the parenthood track.

When asked about how she relates to her frustrated character in the Bad Moms sequel— which centers around the stresses of the holidays — Kunis said she drew from her own experiences for a more accurate portrayal. Because art imitates life, and vice versa.

“[My co-stars and I] ended up having so much say in what we felt throughout Christmas,” Kunis told the TODAY show. “So much of that was implemented in the movie, scattered around … these are real stories.”

Unfortunately, the pressure of parenthood perfectionism doesn’t just surface in November and December. Nor does the sacrifice of learning how to be completely selfless. Nope. That’s a constant, 24/7 thing when you’re a mom.

“I have a whole other appreciation for what my mom does and did and how she truly feels about my brother and I,” Kunis said. “I don’t think that’s something I ever could have understood until I had kids of my own.”

Amen. How true is that? We take it all for granted until we’re in our parents’ shoes, and then we gain a brand-new gratitude for all they went through caring for us.

“I think Bad Moms one and two bring that to light,” she said. “What we truly go through for our kids and the pressure we as moms — we, as women — put on ourselves.” She said what drew her to the Bad Moms movies was the fact that, much like her character, she related so strongly to the ideals she put on herself. You know why? Because we all do it. Sometimes we achieve our goals, and sometimes we fall short. Because we’re human, and because life. Hell, if Mila Kunis isn’t a flawless parent then that means we’re all kind of in this thing together.

“I tried to be so perfect. I literally drove myself crazy with my first kid. It [the movie] made me feel like, OK, you’re not a failure.”