Controversial reason Mila Kunis never used to buy her kids Christmas presents after slamming celeb for parenting decision

The debate about how much cash to spend on your kids at Christmas is one that's been going on for what feels like forever.

While some parents love digging deep into their pockets and spoiling their little ones with everything their heart desires, others think it encourages entitlement and can be wasteful.

Not to mention the ongoing cost of living crisis, meaning for some it's sadly simply impossible to spoil their children in the way they might want to.

Celebrities are particularly under scrutiny for what they do or don't gift their kids, with the whole world seemingly wanting an opinion on their parenting techniques.

And one star who caused huge controversy with her Christmas plan is Mila Kunis, who previously revealed she and hubby Ashton Kutcher don't give their kids presents on the 25th - but not all is as it seems.

Mila Kunis previously sparked debate with her Christmas gifting views (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

The A-list couple, who began dating in 2012 before tying the knot in 2015, share two children - daughter Wyatt Isabelle, 11, and son Dimitri Portwood, nine.

Speaking to Entertainment Tonight in 2017, Kunis revealed that she decided to do things differently.

She explained: "So far our tradition is no presents for the kids. We're instituting it this year because when the kids are [younger than] one, it doesn't really matter.

"Last year when we celebrated Christmas, Wyatt was two and it was too much. We didn't give her anything - it was the grandparents.

"The kid no longer appreciates the one gift. They don't even know what they're expecting; they're just expecting stuff."

She also imposed the same boundaries on the kiddies' grandparents, begging them to hold back on the gift giving.

Kunis said: "We've told our parents, ‘We're begging you - if you have to give her something, pick one gift.’"

The couple share two kids (Steve Granitz/Getty Images)

"Otherwise, we'd like to take a charitable donation, to the Children's Hospital or a pet, whatever you want. That's our new tradition."

She later elaborated on the Kyle and Jackie O Show that she has been ‘teaching them from a very early age that, you know, mummy and daddy may have a dollar, but you’re poor’.

The Friends with Benefits actor said: "It’s so important because we both came from pretty solid poverty backgrounds and grew up very poor."

However, it's important to point out that this interview was quite a while ago and now their kids are older, their stance may have changed.

And when Kunis appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live eight years ago, where she was interviewed by guest host Shaquille O'Neal, she clarified exactly what she meant - and it wasn't what it initially seemed.

Shaq asked: "I heard that you don't gift your kids stuff for Christmas?"

To which Kunis set the record straight as she replied: "False. I will say this. I'm not like an anti-gifter, I just don't over-gift my child."

She clarified that because her kids get so many gifts from extended family, she and Kutcher give them 'literally one present'.

The host then replied: "I’m Shaqo Claus. If you want me to get your kids, I can do that," to which Kunis responded: "No. You can go into business with Shaq-a-Grandparents over there and you guys can take care of that business. She is overwhelmed with presents. Are you looking at me crazy because what do you give your children?"

Shaq then hilariously answered: "Everything they want dot com… I have six, three boys and three girls."

Kunis hit back: "You don’t, do you? You’re such a sucker!"

When the camera panned to Shaq's kids in the audience, Kunis joked: "Those are your spoiled brats?" She then asked them what the last gift they got was, to which one of them said a 'phone'.

Two very different ends of the parenting scale!