Arnold Schwarzenegger Takes Rare Photo with His Granddaughters as Daughter Katherine Gathers Them for Thanksgiving

Arnold Schwarzenegger, the iconic actor and former California governor, cherished time with his grandchildren during Thanksgiving. A photo shared by his daughter, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, captures the 78-year-old standing alongside his ex-wife, Maria Shriver, and their two granddaughters, Eloise Christina, 3, and Lyla Maria, 5.

The children were photographed in front of a large play gingerbread house, decorated with a small Elf on the Shelf on the roof and tiny pine trees surrounding it. Arnold was seen from behind, following his granddaughters as they explored the festive setup.

Katherine wrote in her caption, "So much to be thankful for ."

Earlier this year, Arnold shared with PEOPLE how his grandchildren refer to him. He is grandfather to Katherine's daughters, Eloise and Lyla, as well as her son, Ford, 12 months old. The children call him "Opa," the German word for grandpa. Arnold expressed how rewarding it has been to spend time with them, saying it feels natural because of his familiarity with caring for animals.

In November, Katherine appeared on the Cat and Nat Unfiltered podcast and discussed teaching her two older children about household chores. She noted that she is stricter than she initially realized, attributing some of this to her father. She explained, "We are more traditional with the chores and their execution. This probably reflects a bit of my dads influencehe had no tolerance for excuses when it came to chores."

Katherine recalled her own experiences growing up, sharing that she was once sent home from a semi-formal for failing to put away her clothes. "My dad was very strict about it," she said. Reflecting on this, she admitted that she now enforces similar standards with her own children, saying, "At the time I thought it was harsh, but now I understand the value of these lessons."

Author: Sophia Brooks