Ashton Kutcher and Reese Witherspoon are two of the most successful actors in Hollywood, but they both put parenting at the forefront of their lives. The two stars recently opened up about raising their children and focusing on fostering resilience in their kids.
Kutcher, who is married to actress Mila Kunis, is a proud father of four kids. He’s very vocal about his journey as a dad and has found that building resilience in his children is key. “My oldest is 11 and my youngest is 2, so I am in the throes of parenting right now. But I feel confident that as long as I can give them the resources, the grit, and the resilience to go out into the world and deal with the highs and lows, then I think I’m doing my job,” Kutcher said.
Witherspoon, mother of three kids, couldn’t agree more. “I think resilience is so important. That ability to be able to go, ‘Okay, this didn’t work out, let’s try something else.’ I think it’s so important to let your kids know that it’s okay to fail, and it’s okay to make a mistake,” she said.
Kutcher and Witherspoon want to make sure their children are prepared for anything life throws their way. “I want my kids to know that if something doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure. It means you tried something and you didn’t succeed,” Kutcher said. Witherspoon added, “I want them to understand that you don’t always have to be the hero or the star, but you can be the person who puts in the hard work and the effort and makes a difference.”
The two stars have no doubt that their dedication to raising resilient kids will pay off. “My goal is to have kids that are self-sufficient and have the tools to go out in the world and make good decisions and hopefully, be successful,” Kutcher said. Witherspoon echoed his sentiment: “I hope our kids look back on their childhood and feel like they had a lot of love and support.”