What Parenthood Is Like For Macaulay Culkin And Brenda Song

Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song are parents to two children. Their oldest son, Dakota Song Culkin, was born on April 5, 2021. They chose the name to honor Culkin's sister, Dakota Culkin, who tragically died in 2008. In March 2023, it was revealed that Carson Song Culkin, their second son, was born in late 2022, before Christmas. Since Song and Culkin were both child actors, they're familiar with growing up in the public eye. As parents, they endeavor to keep their children's lives out of the spotlight. 

While they might not reveal details about their kids, Culkin and Song are candid about their experiences as parents."[Culkin] and I are very hands-on," Song told The Cut in January 2022, when Dakota was 9 months old. "We don't have a nanny, but my mom has been here with us since my son was born." Besides caring for her grandchild, Song's mom also brought him on set so Song could breastfeed her son and spend time with him while she was working. In other instances, Song pumped breastmilk during her workday. She noted it took some time to find balance and ask for things she needed, like time to pump during production. "Learning my own boundaries while trying to take care of my son and my family — that was hard," Song explained to The Cut. However, the actor found comfort in knowing that she could depend on Culkin and her mom.

Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song's romance began in 2017 when they were both acting in the film "Changeland." In the beginning, they found common ground as former child actors. "Child actors ... you just look each other in the eye and you nod and we know," Song explained to ET. The couple later relied on this intuitive communication as new parents. "Instead of having set duties, we just feel each other out," Song said to The Cut when Dakota Song Culkin, their older son, was an infant. To keep household responsibilities balanced, Culkin fed their pets and prepared dinner while Song focused on their son's bedtime routine.

As parents, Culkin and Song adapted their daily routines. Before their kids were born, Culkin would get up early to talk to Song before she would leave for work. After Dakota's birth, they enjoyed a quiet discussion about the day's events while their son slept. Occasionally, Culkin and Song enjoy a date night together, but these outings are rare. "Very few things can get us out of the house and away from our son," Song captioned a November 2021 Instagram post of the couple at a Los Angeles Rams game.

In January 2022, after being together for 4 years, it was reported that Culkin and Song were engaged. However, they put their kids first. Song has noted she does most of her planning online when she has a free moment, due to her busy life as a parent. 

After her first child was born, Brenda Song pushed herself as a parent and an actor. However, she's noted the importance of relying on other people, like her partner, Macaulay Culkin, and her mom, to care for her kids. "Your instinct is to want to do it all and you physically can't," Song told The Cut.

She returned to performing in the comedy series "Dollface" when Dakota Song Culkin was 12 weeks old. Song would get up between 4 and 4:30 a.m. to prepare for the day's shooting before leaving home. While she loved being on set, Song also struggled with being away from her baby. If her workday was particularly long, she sometimes left home before Dakota woke up and returned after his bedtime. 

To balance their parental duties, and minimize their separation, Song and Culkin have also taken their sons with them to work events. Besides visiting his mom on set as a baby, Dakota and his little brother Carson joined their parents when Culkin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in December 2023. In his acceptance speech, Culkin highlighted the importance of his fiancée and his children. Referencing Song, Culkin said (via People), "After the birth of our two boys, you've become one of my three favorite people."