(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Gwyneth Paltrow is "an extraordinary mom", according to her mother Blythe Danner.

Gwyneth has two children with Coldplay frontman husband Chris Martin seven-year-old Apple and five-year-old Moses.

The family are notoriously discreet, and Gwyneth and Chris are rarely seen out in public together.

Actress Blythe says her daughter is a wonderful parent to her kids.

"Only take the projects that mean the most to you, and try to be there as much as you can. You have to balance it," she said when asked what advice she gives to Gwyneth as a working Hollywood mother.

"She has a wonderful husband, as I did, and we used to take turns to make sure that neither of us were both gone at the same time. She's an extraordinary mom, and I'm proud of her for the great mothering she's doing."

The family divide their time between the UK and the US, although they spend the majority of their time in London. Blythe loves spending time with her grandchildren whenever possible.

"We're lucky to get together quite a bit. They're here a lot on their school breaks and we're together in the summers and the holidays. I don't see them every day, but I see them a lot, and we make up for lost time when we're together," she told Parade magazine.

Gwyneth's father Bruce Paltrow died in 2002. Blythe says her husband's death impacted greatly on the family, especially Gwyneth.

"I've been on my own and independent for almost ten years and staying strong in my independence is of the utmost importance. I really do like being independent, and I don't want to have to rely on anyone else to cart me around if I break a bone," she explained.

"It made a very big impact on all of us. I think it influenced Gwyneth a lot in the way she's conducted GOOP [her lifestyle/advice website] and her cookbook. It influenced all of us. It made us realise that life is so short and you really must take care of yourself." (C) Cover Media