Maksim Chmerkovskiy is taking every chance he gets to make memories with his kids.
The former Dancing With the Stars pro, 44, brought his son, Shai Chmerkovskiy, to the world premiere of the new animated family comedy, The Garfield Movie, in Hollywood on Sunday, and he spoke with ET about how he tries to prioritize his kids.
"I mean, it's always a dad opportunity. If I'm not gonna be away and if I'm at home, I don't justify not spending my every waking moment with him," Chmerkovskiy said. "Because then it's easier for me to go and do my stuff [too]."
Chmerkovskiy and his wife, DWTS pro Peta Murgatroyd, share 7-year-old son Shai and 11-month-old son Rio. Murgatroyd is also currently pregnant with the couple's third child -- a son, as they revealed in March -- and Chmerkovskiy is making sure to spend as much time with his kids as possible.
"I'm taking the opportunity that Peta's pregnant and can't do these things to pile on points," Chmerkovskiy said of taking Shai to the red carpet premiere. "Because at some point, it's an uneven game. [And] I want to be ingrained in their core memory, [and go,] 'This is what we did with dad.'"
Maksim Chmerkovskiy and son Shai attend the World Premiere of 'Garfield: The Movie' at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on May 19, 2024.
When it comes to the question of whether or not he's ready to be a father of three, Chmerkovskiy quipped, "Are you ever?"
"But now I'm definitely entering an elite club," he added with a laugh.
Looking toward the future with regards to their careers, Chmerkovskiy said, "We have other stuff going outside of the TV arena that we're very excited about, [but] I'm focused on the family."
"Peta's doing incredible with her avenues and all that, so I get an opportunity to stay at home till further notice," he added.
Meanwhile, while walking the red carpet on Sunday, Chmerkovskiy scored some real dad points when his son got the chance to snap a photo with Garfield himself.
"Best day ever," he beamed to ET after the chance encounter.
The Garfield Movie hits theaters May 24.
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