Ashton Kutcher & Mila Kunis Use 'Poverty Backgrounds' to Teach Their Kids 'What a Dollar Is Worth'

Ashton Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, had a taste of poverty as children. Even though they grew up to become affluent people, the pair decided to use their background to teach their kids the importance of being independent.

Mila Kunis is famous in the U.S., but that was not where she was born. The American actress was born in Chernivtsi when it was still a part of communist Russia and her parents, while they lived in Russia, had great jobs.

Her parents decided to move to the U.S., where they felt their kids would have a better future. They were after the great American dream, but when they arrived, the family of four had very little money in their pockets.

To survive, they did every job they came across just to secure the money they would use to feed their family and maintain themselves. According to Mila, ​​"They didn't have time to go back and get their degrees because who was going to feed the children?"

Later on in their lives, Mila's parents, Mark and Elvira, also admitted that the first few years they spent in the U.S. were tough on them, making it very hard to survive.

Mila was only seven when they moved, so she hardly remembers what it was like; however, one thing the gorgeous lady will never forget is how it felt to be a stranger in another country.

It must have been hard for her because she cried all the time because she had to go to school even though she could not understand the English language. She said:

"When I wrote my essay for college, it was about imagining what it was like being blind and deaf at the age of seven, because that's what it felt like."

Despite the language barrier, Mila's brilliance shone through, and by the time she was nine years old, she asked to be allowed to take acting classes. Unfortunately, they did not have the money it would take, but her mom took the chance, proving a wise investment because she soon became an actress.

Mila did not give up on herself, and by age 17, she had a great handle on the English language and already felt like she belonged in the new place they had moved to from Russia.

Even though a decade had passed, she continued to ask everyone about some American characters or cultural phenomena that baffled her because she was not born in America.

Unlike Mila, Ashton was born on February 7, 1978, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He is now popular as an actor, but he started as a model, and before that, he was just a college student working a couple of odd jobs to sponsor his education.

His parents split up when he was 13, leaving him, his special needs twin Michael, and their older sister, Tausha, with their mom. After some time, the woman married again, and they all moved to a small farm village called Homestead.

There he continued his studies and acted in plays, but when he got older, he started to rebel, going to parties and at some point getting arrested and charged with attempted burglary. After high school, he entered college to study biochemical engineering and got more serious.

While working his odd jobs, he was scouted by a modeling agent, which set him on a path that led him to become an actor whose big break came in the 1998 sitcom "That 70s Show." He steadily grew more popular over the years, and after his high-profile marriage with Demi Moore, he got even more recognition.

How They Met

Kutcher and Kunis first met on the set of the very first show he appeared in, "That 70s Show." They worked together till the show ended in 2006, after which they caught up at the 7th Annual Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in L.A.

Kutcher and Kunis stirred the beehive when they revealed that their two kids, whom people rarely see, hardly got bathed daily.

Kutcher had still been with Moore, whom he married in 2005, while Kunis had been dating actor Macaulay Culkin since 2002.

Kutcher split from Moore in November 2011, and afterward, there were rumors that he was with Kunis, who had also split from Culkin in January 2011. However, the pair went public with their relationship on August 5, 2012, when they went on a romantic vacation to Bali.

Kutcher and Kunis fell deeper in love as time passed, and soon they had a secret engagement in February 2014 before proceeding to tie the knot secretly. They later threw a festive party to celebrate with close friends and family.

It took place at the Secret Garden at Parrish Ranch in Oak Glen, California, a private spot boasting acres of apple orchards, ponds, and botanical gardens. Kunis wore a white dress for the joyful event and had her hair tied all up — the perfect picture of a beautiful bride.

Becoming Parents

In 2014, Kutcher and his lovely wife welcomed their first child, and the proud father revealed her name, Wyatt Isabelle, via his website. They made adequate preparations with Kunis attending prenatal Pilates and yoga throughout her pregnancy and her husband doting on her.

In 2016, the couple welcomed their second child, a boy named Dmitri. Like his sister, the proud family man announced their son's name via a website he is invested in, and he revealed the boy had been born weighing eight pounds and 15 ounces.

They kept news of their son's birth from the public and didn't share photos because, in their words, "We'd like to allow our kids to make their own choices on whether to have a life in the public or not."

Their Near-Faultless Parenting

Kunis and her husband started instilling good morals into their kids right from infancy; they taught them to be humble, especially where money was concerned.

In a podcast session he featured on in the past, Kutcher revealed that his kids were living luxurious lives but would never know because they don't see it that way.

Kunis also stated at some point in the past that they had a tradition of donating the Christmas presents for the kids to charity since their children couldn't appreciate the gifts yet because of their age.

The proud parents also decided they would refer to themselves as poor to humble their kids. "It's a matter of teaching them from a very early age that, you know, mommy and daddy may have a dollar, but you're poor."

Then when the time came to teach their kids about the value of the dollar, they would often use their difficult backgrounds as points of reference. Kunis said:

"It's so important because we both came from pretty solid poverty backgrounds and grew up very poor and are very much self-made and are very aware of what a dollar is worth."

They Live in a Great Farmhouse in Los Angeles

Kutcher and his wife were very thorough about molding a family they had envisioned, and that did not stop at teaching their kids good morals. As a result, the family live in their dream home, which was a stunning Los Angeles Farmhouse on KuKu Farms.

The estate is six acres of land with a massive main house, an expansive guesthouse, and a barn perfect for entertaining A-list guests. The couple put their all into making the house feel like a home their kids belonged in.

Despite the luxurious accommodations, the pair have decided to teach their kids how to be resourceful. In fact, Kutcher once confessed that he and his wife plan to give their wealth away to charity which means their kids will not be getting a trust set up for them.

According to him, this will make them work hard to secure at least a fraction of the wealth they enjoyed as children.

Parenthood Scandals and Protective Streaks

Known publicly as dedicated parents, Kutcher and Kunis stirred the beehive when they revealed that their two kids, whom people rarely see, hardly got bathed daily.

Of course, it was a misconception they cleared up later on when they clarified that they only clean the kids when they have visible dirt on them.

Kutcher backed her up, too, admitting that he was a hands-on father who did not mind changing kid diapers. The pair are also very particular about protecting their children from the spotlight's glare.

In the past, Kunis has expressed dislike for the lack of privacy being a celebrity causes, especially since it means she can't even take a walk with her child.

She hopes to teach her daughter how to weather the storm that is sure to her way as she grows older, but until the girl is ready, Kunis and Kutcher will continue to protect their innocence.