Jamie McCarthy/Getty; Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Keep Memory Alive Maria Shriver opened up about feeling "blessed" to have her son-in-law, Chris Pratt, while on theJamie Kern Lima Showpodcast TheI Am Mariaauthor called the actor "so loving and spiritual, kind," adding that he's "such a great husband and father" Pratt is married to Shriver's oldest child, daughter Katherine Schwarzenegger, and the couple share three children Maria Shriverunderstands the importance of family. TheI Am Mariaauthor, 69, opened up on theJamie Kern Lima Showpodcast's most recent episode about being "blessed" with son-in-lawChris Pratt, who is married to and sharesthree childrenwith her oldest child, daughterKatherine Schwarzenegger. "I'm so blessed with my son-in-law, who is so loving and spiritual, kind," Shriver said of Pratt, 45. "He's such a great husband and father, and he is such a great member of our family." Of her sonPatrick Schwarzenegger's fiancée, she added, "Same with my daughter-in-law-to-be,Abby [Champion]." Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Michael Kovac/Getty Shriver went on to stress how she feels it's "super important" to prioritize her children's significant others, explaining, "How do those partners fit in? How do you welcome those partners?" "How does everybody make sure that they make room, and how do we open up our hearts to make sure that we are a growing family — an inclusive family, a loving family?" she added. Shriver said it's her "job" as a parent to ensure the dynamic is followed through on — and she would known, having four brothers and four sisters-in-law herself. "I always would say to my daughters, 'You have to always make room. Your brothers bring somebody home, we've gotta expand,' " she continued. "Our goal is to be welcoming and to be open and to keep communication going. Because you never wanna put yourself in a place to make a brother or sister choose between their partner and their relationship with you. Family is everything." The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! And "so, so far so good," as far as the mother of four is concerned. (Aside from Katherine, 35, and Patrick, 31, Shriver also shares two other children with ex-husbandArnold Schwarzenegger:Christina Schwarzenegger, 33, andChristopher Schwarzenegger, 27.) "I've heard so many people struggle in this space, and see how fragile it is," she said. "I think family's fragile. And I think recognizing and understanding that, at every increment, it's fragile." "And so to give it a strong foundation, to keep the communication open and recognize that it's both strong and fragile, is important," Shriver added. I Am Mariais now available wherever books are sold. Read the original article onPeople
