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Maria Shriver Opens Up to Oprah Winfrey About Raising Kind and Ambitious Children

I've Been Thinking author opens up about the values she tries to instill with her four children

By Mike Vulpo Jun 21, 2018 12:00 AMTags

When you have parents with the last name of Shriver or Schwarzenegger, life is bound to be a little bit more different than the average kid.

But for Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famous parents have been on the same page when it comes to raising their four children.

In an upcoming conversation on Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations podcast, Maria is asked how she raises kind yet ambitious children. In addition, Oprah Winfrey wonders what keeps her kids grounded. The answers may just inspire you.

"I say to them, at the end of the day, you're you. You will surround yourself with people who know you and love you," Maria explained in a sneak peek exclusive to E! News.  "That's your job to have a good group of friends around you. I expect you and so does your dad expect you to be kind and compassionate and I expect you to work hard."

She continued, "I don't expect you to make a lot of money, but I expect you to work hard as does your dad."

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The author of I've Been Thinking…: Reflections, Prayers, and Meditations for a Meaningful Life also wants her children including Katherine, Christopher, Christina and Patrick Schwarzenegger to pay it forward and help those who may not be as fortunate.

Many of her kids have been vocal supporters of Best Buddies, the ASPCA and other causes that they are passionate about.

"I also expect you to do something that's good in the world: Find a passion, find a charity, find a non-profit that can use your help. I'm not going to tie loving you to how you do, but I do expect you to be kind and loving and you will always be accepted here in this home," Maria explained. "You will always be loved here. It's non- negotiable. You will have that all the time."

The NBC News anchor also acknowledges that her kids will likely face people who believe they got opportunities only because of their famous last name. When faced with such a situation, Maria has some advice.

"You're also going to have to put on blinders and eliminate the people who say, 'You only got this cause of who you are. You got it easy. You got this. You got that.' And you just have to keep going. You have to keep your head down and keep moving forward," she shared with Oprah. "Everybody has their stuff. Everybody has their challenges but you're blessed."

To hear more from Maria's conversation with Oprah, listen to Oprah's SuperSoul Conversations on Apple Podcasts June 25. Part two of the podcast interview will be available June 27.