Chris Pratt says mother-in-law Maria Shriver showed him how to avoid raising 'rotten kids' in Hollywood
Chris Pratt shared how his mother-in-law Maria Shriver set an example for him on how to parent his children.
During a Thursday appearance on "Today," the 44-year-old actor gushed over Shriver, 68, who is mother to his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger, 34. Shriver is also mom to Christina, 32, and sons Patrick, 30, and Christopher, 26, whom she shares with her ex-husband Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"Oh, my gosh. I mean, she’s like a living saint. I feel that. And she’s funny and accessible and brilliant. She’s so involved in the lives of her children," the "Guardians of the Galaxy" star said.
He continued, "She’s raised four — she and Arnold — have raised four amazing kids. And that’s not always an easy thing to do."
"You see people in Hollywood or people who’ve got, like, a lot of privilege, and they end up kind of raising rotten kids," Pratt added.
"So I just want to kind of ask her everything. ‘What’d you do? How did you not spoil them? How did you not ruin them?’"
Pratt shares daughters Lyla, 3, and Eloise, 2, with Schwarzenegger, and he is also father to son Jack, 11, from his previous marriage to Anna Faris, 47.
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After being asked about the parenting advice that Shriver had given him, Pratt explained that she demonstrated how to instill good values in her children.
"I think she holds them accountable," he said. "You know, when Maria walks in the room, you stand up. She’s big on manners, and she’s big on accountability."
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"And she’s deeply rooted in her faith and these are all things that I definitely want to take and implement in the rearing of our children," the actor added.
Pratt and Schwarzenegger married in June 2019 after meeting at church. Shriver helped set the two up, and they eventually wed during a ceremony held in Montecito, California.
While appearing on "Today," Pratt also raved about Schwarzenegger, praising the author for being a "devoted" mother to their daughters and a loving stepmother to Jack.
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"I'm lucky," he said. "I'm a lucky man. She's great. She is fantastic. Such a devoted mom. Just a wonderful person. She's given me and Jack so much. We're grateful to have her."
During a recent interview, Pratt reflected on how his approach to parenting differed from how his own parents raised him.
"I think there's a new age of parenting," he told E! News. "I grew up. I did exactly what my parents said all the time. I never knew I could say 'no' to my parents. And now I'm a guy who's not super — didn't have a super healthy grip on his own emotions. So we're trying to raise them in a way that they feel comfortable expressing themselves."
He continued, "They still know the meaning of the word 'no' from their mom. When it comes from me, they don't seem to know what that means. And I don't really know what to do about it, but we'll get there."
"They are cute and they're wonderful," the "Jurassic World" star added of his children. "They're sweet, polite, kind, joyous little angels, and I love them."