The Biggest Difference Between Macaulay Culkin's Childhood & The One He's Giving His Own Kids

Given his iconic roles in some of the most beloved films of the late 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s, Macaulay Culkin's childhood was anything but typical. However, the former child star has made no secret that fame and success did not necessarily equate to a happy home life growing up. For instance, Macaulay has had a tumultuous relationship with his father, Kit Culkin, whom he has repeatedly accused of severe mental and physical abuse. And while Macaulay's also-famous sibling Kieran Culkin has not publicly leveled the same allegations, he has openly corroborated that their father was "not a good dude" (via Vanity Fair). With that in mind, Macaulay seems to be doing everything in his power to give his own children a better childhood than the one he had. The actor shared that just one little word can make all the difference.

Macaulay shares two children with fiancée Brenda Song, herself a former Disney Channel star. And according to the "Fallout" actor, the one thing he does for his kids that his parents never did for him is tell them how proud he is of them. "There's a word that I use in my household, because it's something that I didn't really hear enough of when I was a kid. And that's 'proud.' Man, I'm proud of my kids," Macaulay said during an appearance on Mythical Kitchen's "Last Meals" in December 2025. What's more, his efforts certainly haven't gone unnoticed.

Notably, one of the most prevalent allegations regarding Kit Culkin is that he all but forced his children into acting. In fact, while speaking to New York Magazine in 2001, Macaulay claimed that even though he desperately needed a break at one point, his father kept booking him gigs against his will. And once again, Macaulay's 2025 appearance on "Last Meals" shows just how different he is as a parent. "My kid, he does this recital ... and he's really excited about it ... and as soon as that curtain opens, he freezes. And he cries, and he runs off stage," the actor shared. "I go scoop him up, and the first thing out of my mouth is, 'Man, I'm so proud of you. You were so brave to go out there like that,'" he continued.

If anyone seems to appreciate the effort Macaulay is putting into being a dad, it's his longtime partner, Brenda Song. "Seeing you step into fatherhood has been one of the greatest joys of my life. Thank you for your endless patience, kindness, humor, and unconditional love," Song wrote in a 2025 Father's Day Instagram post addressed to her fiancé. Not only that, but Macaulay isn't the only one of the Culkin boys who's been praised by their partner for the steps they've taken towards breaking toxic generational cycles. In her own 2024 Father's Day Instagram post, Kieran's wife Jazz Charton celebrated the "Succession" star for his own parenting skills. "Considering he didn't grow up with a good example of what a dad is, he's really quite good at it," she wrote at the time.