It is the most life-changing experience you can have, in my opinion. Everything changed. I am proud to be a stay-at-home mom. I have no desire to be in front of the camera. I find her to be the most challenging job I’ve had.

Most of us know her best from her time playing Jackie Burkhart on That ’70s Show, but Mila Kunis has gone on to do many great things both in and out of acting since then. You might also know her as the voice of Meg Griffin on Family Guy or from her work in such movies as Ted, Black Swan and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Oh, and she’s also mom to Wyatt and Dimitri.

Across all the roles she has played in the last 20 or so years, Mila Kunis says that motherhood has been the most challenging. While I can’t speak specifically to the “mom” part of the dynamic, I can certainly agree that my life as a stay-at-home dad hasn’t been easy. I can also agree that it has been the most rewarding, as sleep-deprived and frustrated as we parents can get.

Another important thing to learn is that kids have a personality that has nothing to do with you. I have a really sweet daughter. She wants to hug all the other kids. I didn’t teach her to be sweet. It has nothing to do with me. I’ve realized you can control only so much.

With today being Mother’s Day, I think it is important to highlight at least a couple of important lessons.

First, today isn’t just about moms in the traditional sense. We must also think of expectant moms, future moms who are trying, adoptive moms, and all the mom-like figures in our lives. Aunts, grandmas, cousins, older sisters, family friends, teachers, and babysitters have all played motherly roles in many people’s lives.

Second, and this is something that is explored in Bad Moms with Mila Kunis, is that mothers need not be so hard on themselves. There is no such thing as the perfect mom and that’s okay. With so many different approaches to parenting, it’s up to you to find the one that works best for you and your family. You don’t have to be the perfect cupcake-baking PTA president who also juggles a full-time career.

Cut yourself a little slack, pour yourself an extra glass of wine, and indulge in just one more episode of your favorite guilty pleasure on Netflix. You deserve it.

There’s no such thing as balance. It doesn’t exist.

You’ll never get it all done and you’ll never have it all. At the end of the day, any day of the year, just focus on being a good person and raising good human beings. And remember to have a sense of humor about it all too. Happy Mother’s Day.

Image credit: Gage Skidmore (via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)