“I know how important that role is in a young girl’s life,” the actress says about watching her husband be a father to their two daughters

Joanna Garcia and Nick Swisher family

JoAnna Garcia Swisher knows her daughters hit the jackpot when it comes to their dad.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE about her partnership with Post-it® Brand and Scotch™ Brand for the launch of its ultimate all-in-one Back-to-School Countdown Kit, the mom of two, 44, opened up about watching her husband Nick Swisher parent their daughters Emerson Jay, 11, and Sailor Stevie, 8.

“It’s really sweet. That is something that I could get really emotional about. I was very, very, very close to my dad. He was the ultimate girl dad,” she says, appearing to choke up at the mention of her father, Jay Garcia, who died in 2019.

“So I know how important that role is in a young girl’s life.”

The Sweet Magnolias star calls Nick her daughters’ “number one fan” and “biggest hype man,” adding that he spends intentional time with them to get to know them as people, which is “such a gift.”

Joanna Garcia and Nick Swisher family

Joanna Garcia Swisher, Nick Swisher, Emerson and Sailor.JoAnna Garcia Swisher/Instagram

“I feel so grateful that I’m doing this with him and I feel grateful for my daughters,” JoAnna adds.

The Reba alum’s love for her own father was evident in an Instagram tribute she wrote to him after his death in 2019.

“There is no speech or Instagram tribute that could ever express the love I have for my father and the devastation I feel after losing him,” she wrote in the caption of a photo of her dad walking her down the aisle at her wedding to Nick in 2010. “But he deserves all the words, all the tributes, all the tears, and all the celebration.”

JoAnna Garcia, Nick Swisher and family attend Sonic The Hedgehog Family Day Event on January 25, 2020 in Hollywood, California.

As for her secret to successfully parenting with Nick while staying connected in their nearly 14-year marriage, JoAnna tells PEOPLE that the key for them has been staying involved in each others’ careers.

“We prioritize each other’s dreams and just [try] to be kind to each other and give each other grace and know that it’s not always going to be perfect and easy and effortless,” she shares. “Life happens,and just being each other’s teammate is really important.”