Blake Shelton is the proud stepfather to three sons, but the country superstar has now revealed that he is always careful about when to step into parenting, especially because he himself had stepparents.
Blake wed Gwen Stefani in 2021, and the No Doubt frontwoman is mom to three boys – Kingston, 17, Zuma, 15, and Apollo, nine – whom she welcomed with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale.
Speaking to Today Show, the 47-year-old shared what life is like for him, Gwen and their boys, suggesting that being a stepparent is "more difficult" than normal parenting.
"I've had stepparents. I think, in some ways, it's more difficult," he told TODAY. "I try to be careful about when to step in and be smart about when to step back, but no matter what, always be there if I'm needed."
Gwen and Blake met in 2014, and he left her in tears in October when he made a public declaration of his love at the 54-year-old's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
"The first time that I ever met Gwen was in 2014," he started. "She wasn't like any famous person I ever met before."
"It was clear to me that she was a mother first and foremost over anything else in this world," he said of their first ever interaction on The Voice. "That was her number one job. And now standing here, almost ten years later, after I first met her, I can say without question that being a mother is still the most important thing in her life."
He continued: "What makes me happiest for Gwen, though, is that this all started with a song she wrote. Songwriting is her favorite thing to do. And she happens to be exceptionally talented at it."
His comments come as the boys' father also shared how he has struggled to balance parenting and work. Bush rocker Gavin told People magazine that he has missed key moments in his sons' lives due to his work as a touring musician.
"Everything has its price. The biggest cost is my kids — I missed the first [high school football] game," Gavin revealed during an interview with People magazine, sharing that at the age of 58 he had yet to find a balance.
"My priority is my kids. I’m really focused and present and just trying to build something worthwhile [that I can] share with my family, and so I am always working,” he added.