Christina Ricci Says Daughter, 9 Months, Is Sleep Trained — and a Big Fan of the Family Pets

As a mom of multiple kids, Christina Ricci knows that no two children are alike.

The Yellowjackets actress, 42, recently spoke with PEOPLE amid her partnership with Stella & Chewy's, and revealed that while her 9-month-old daughter Cleopatra is sleep-trained ("a f---ing miracle," she jokes), her son Freddie, 8, still prefers Mom's company during snooze times.

"The fact that I can put her down in her crib and she just goes to sleep when my 8-year-old still sleeps with me is amazing," Ricci says.

The first time she tried to sleep-train Freddie when he was younger, "He screamed himself hoarse and started banging his head against the crib railing," which made her reconsider her approach quickly.

"But with Cleo, when we decided to try it and see how she would react to it, she just sort of whined for about seven minutes and then laid down, clutched her little unicorn and went to sleep," the Emmy nominee shares. "It was like she was ready and she wanted to do it, and it was right for her."

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Asked about the sweet "Best Mom" banner her kids presented her with after she didn't take home the Emmy earlier this month, Ricci tells PEOPLE that Freddie in particular "was really excited" that night "because he saw me on live television," which was a departure from seeing her as a character and something he got a big kick out of.

"He didn't know whether I won or lost, but he was just like, 'Mom, I saw you and [Ricci's husband Mark Hampton] on TV. ... You were laughing about something. Someone made a joke and then they cut to you and you were right there and you were laughing. I saw Mark,' " Ricci recalls of her son's "funny" reaction to her Emmys appearance.

"This is the first time I've ever seen him really excited about anything in my career, so that was super fun because he stayed up with our nanny and watched parts of the Emmys," the Mermaids actress continues. "He's 8, so doesn't really hold that much interest for him."

As for big-brother duties, Ricci says she pays Freddie to watch Cleo "for 20 minutes at a time in her little playpen," so she can get some things done around the house, and that "he is really helpful" with the baby.

"He can help me make a bottle. He can help me in the bathtub with her. It is really great," says the mom of two. "There hasn't been a lot of sibling jealousy or anything. That has been a huge relief."

Ricci has partnered with Stella & Chewy's for their "All You Need Is Raw" campaign, which CEO Marc Hill says in a release "is a natural fit for our brand."

"Stella & Chewy's was founded with raw love at its core, and it couldn't be more evident that Christina embodies this daily through the relationship she has with her three dogs," Hill adds, shouting out the actress's pups Patrick, Logan and Karen Carpenter.

Ricci tells PEOPLE that her older dog Karen "always comes over and sits by the baby and lets the baby pet her," adding, "And Freddie used to get in Karen's dog bed with her."

"And then our big dog, Logan, always tries to sneak a kiss in. So he'll be running through the kitchen, and he'll sneak over to where [Cleo is] playing and just lick her face," the Wednesday actress continues. "He's a huge dog. So his tongue is literally suffocating for her."

Meanwhile, little Cleo is all about it. "It's adorable. And she loves it," Ricci raves. "It's really cute. She's always horrified and can't breathe, but also giggling and loves it."