When you’re a working mom, you only have so much to give—and no one will set the limits for you. For mother-of-two Mila Kunis, that meant she had to get serious about establishing her own boundaries around “work” and “life.”

“When I became a mom, so many things that I used to be insecure about and concerned myself with, no longer mattered,” Kunis said during the Path to Parity event for Variety this week. “The ability to say no, had a purpose.”

Not only was she more willing to say “no,” but Kunis says she also became more passionate about pursuing projects she believed in—like Bad Moms. Initially, she explained other actresses were shying away from the raunchy script. But as a mom with two young kids, Kunis could see how important it was to bring representation to this time of life.

“I was pregnant and had a baby so I wasn’t thinking about doing it… I was trying to get other people to do it,” she said. Rather than letting it slide, Kunis said she decided to commit herself to it because she believed “this movie simply needs to be made.” That gut instinct paid off with hundreds of millions of dollars in ticket sales worldwide and a sequel.

It also reinforced Kunis’ belief that we need more women-led movies. Not only do these clearly (and not surprisingly) resonate with so many viewers, but Kunis said they are also more balanced, enjoyable sets. “There’s a noticeable difference,” she said of working on films led by female directors, like she did for the upcoming comedy The Spy Who Dumped Me. “No one is yelling at each other… At 7 o’clock, bye, go home. I got to see my kids for dinner. It was lovely.”

In her household, Kunis isn’t the only one committed to striking a healthy balance, either. As husband Ashton Kutcher previously said, he sets strict limits with his work time. “One thing I do is schedule my intimate life. I schedule my time with my kids. I make those blocks, hard and fast in my calendar, and I don’t move them.”

He’s also not afraid to take on the many roles that parenting demands, tweeting this week, “If you ever wonder what it’s like driving 2 toddlers. Imagine being a Dj, a vending machine, a taxi driver, and an EMT at the same time.”

Even with those limits, it can be hard to feel like you’re achieving a perfect balance between work and life. But by so clearly having either other’s backs, Kunis and Kutcher prove time and time again why they are #parentinggoals.

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