Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt is a bestselling author, host of the BDA Baby podcast and an animal advocate. She’s also a mom of three kids: daughters Lyla (5) and Eloise (3) and son Ford (1) as well as stepmom to 13-year-old Jack.
Recently, she sat down with Demetra Ganias, host of MomCast, the podcast powered by The Local Moms Network, to chat about her new children’s book, Kat & Brandy, her unique communication style with her husband actor Chris Pratt, her relationship with her own very accomplished mother, Maria Shriver, and more. Here is an excerpt of that conversation:
For the whole conversation, listen to Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt’s episode of MomCast, here.
You’ve had quite a year—new book, busy podcast and a third baby! Please tell us a bit about Kat & Brandy.
This is my third children’s book, and I’ve loved doing each one. My journey with writing these has changed dramatically because when I did my first one, I wasn’t married. My second one, I had just had my second daughter. And now with my third book, I have a test group with my children!
Love that. The story of this young girl and her pony, and the message of overcoming her fears, is so powerful. Can you speak of a little bit about taking on that message?
Yes, it tells the story of a young girl who works through her fears with the help of her relationship and bond with a horse. And this book is able to spark conversation between a parent or a caregiver and a child about how to overcome your fears, how to work through your fears, how to be brave, how to be courageous. And then also shines a light on the amazing healing power of animals, which I love because it’s been such a big part of mylife.
Such a universal message—what has scared you about motherhood?
When I had my first daughter, I feel like the biggest stress factor was really just having my first baby in the thick of the COVID pandemic, which was very unexpected and very challenging for me personally to navigate. With my second, and then also my third, there was stress around how I would divide myself to make them feel seen and loved as much as the others.
Have you purposefully focused on that individual time?
Yes, that’s very important to me. With the baby, I’m still breastfeeding, so I spend a lot of quality time with him. I try to also incorporate the girls into a lot of that time. Eloise always helps with Ford’s bathtime, and Lila helps me with Ford’s meal time.
Three kids is a game-changer. How do you stay centered?
I try to spend a lot of time learning more about how to find my inner calm and also a lot about co-regulation. I try to have a dialogue with them that says like, I’m feeling really overwhelmed right now. I’m feeling really frustrated right now. I’m going to go take some deep breaths. So, they also learn that language for themselves.
How do you stay connected with your husband with so much going on?
He and I always talk about being in different seasons in our relationship. The season that we’re in right now is such a special and beautiful one of having young children and being in all of the beautiful chaos. We always remind ourselves like, we’re in this together.
Before we got married we did a couple’s counseling course at the church I grew up going to in Santa Monica. We have a specific way of communicating with one another that we learned called the Imago method, so you feel like you’re really hearing each other and mirroring back. We also try to have date nights, even just to go to lunch or on a walk.
How did you find your flow as a stepmother?
Stepparenting is a beautiful and challenging role. I’m lucky that I get to experience both. You have to give yourself grace in navigating step parenting because it’s a really important role and it’s one that is so unique for everyone person. I am lucky that I have a very supportive husband and a great stepchild. When Chris and I got engaged, I started seeing a step parenting therapist. And that has been dramatically helpful for me, and just always keeping in mind it’s all about the child.
How do you reflect on your own childhood, as a mom now yourself?
I think my parents really provided us with such a magical experience growing up and raised the four of us kids to be each other’s best friends, be each other’s biggest cheerleaders and advocates and just support systems.And so I really think that the big theme of family is something that’s a big tradition, if you will, that I want to make sure that Chris and I instill.
You’re very close with your mom—does that impact how you parent?
I am so grateful that throughout my whole life I had the ability to come to my parents, especially my mom, with anything, and knowing that I wouldn’t be judged or criticized for it. My most important job is my job as a mother. I learned that from my mom and continue to learn that from my mom.
For the whole conversation, listen to Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt’s episode of MomCast, here.
