Katie Holmes on raising daughter Suri: 'I listen to her'

March 9 (UPI) -- Katie Holmes says listening to daughter Suri is an important part of forming her character.

The 39-year-old actress said in an interview with Today.com published Thursday that her goal with Suri, her 11-year-old daughter with ex-husband Tom Cruise, is to bring up a "good human."

"I do a lot to put perspective on life. We help out the homeless. We do small acts of kindness," Holmes said. "Again, it's a daily thing."

"I don't over-gift. I don't inundate my child with a lot of things," she added. "We're trying to raise good humans and some days we're better at it than others. You don't always get treats."

Holmes said she encourages her daughter to pursue her passions and work hard to achieve her goals.

"We just focus on what she's passionate about and how you feel when you achieve your goals," she said. "I listen to her. It's a daily thing. I try to reward her for her hard work and not necessarily the results of the hard work."

Holmes previously told Today she's "not so worried" about Suri's teenage years because her daughter is a "great girl."

"She is 11 1/2 and she's a great girl and she's doing so well and I'm enjoying this time," the star said.

Holmes split from Cruise in 2012 after five years of marriage and has since been linked to Jamie Foxx. She shared a throwback photo Thursday on Instagram of herself sharing a sweet moment with Suri.

"#tbt," she captioned the picture, adding several heart emojis.