Blake Shelton Talks Being Stepdad to Gwen Stefani's Sons: 'Can't Imagine My Life Without' Them

Blake Shelton takes his role as a stepparent very seriously — but that doesn't mean he doesn't have fun with it!

The "Happy Anywhere" singer, 44, is engaged to Gwen Stefani, who shares three kids —  sons Kingston James McGregor, 14, Zuma Nesta Rock, 12, and Apollo Bowie Flynn, 7 later this month — with ex Gavin Rossdale. During an interview with KFROG's The Ride with Kimo & Heather, Shelton says there's "definitely nothing easy" about being a stepfather.

"I don't know if it's as hard or harder or not as hard as being an actual, biological parent, you know?" he says. "I have a stepfather in my life who's one of my heroes. I love my stepfather and I look up to him and he's like a father to me, so I have a good inspiration in my life for how to do this and the kind of stepdad I want to be. And I take it very serious."

"But I also have a blast with it, I'm not gonna lie," adds Shelton. "I don't take it so serious that I'm not enjoying this time because I really am, especially now that we're five years into this thing."

"I can't imagine my life without these kids now," he says.

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Gwen Stefani's 3 Sons 'Will Have a Large Part' in Her Wedding to Blake Shelton, Source Says

A source previously told PEOPLE that Shelton asked Stefani's boys for approval before proposing to their mom.

"Blake told her boys that he wanted to propose and asked their permission," a source close to Stefani said. "Her family very much approves of him. He's an amazing partner and a great extra dad to the boys. Gwen is ecstatic. The proposal was a surprise."

Shelton has previously opened up about his role as a stepparent in Kingston, Zuma and Apollo's lives, telling the Today show in July about the balance of being both a friend and a role model to them.

"That's a scary moment for me because it's one thing for me to be with the kids all the time and be their buddy, but you do have to consider after a while that they start to listen to things that you say. There's a lot of responsibility that comes with that," Shelton said at the time.

Stefani shared a collection of images to her Instagram feed of Shelton spending time with all three boys over the years to commemorate Father's Day last year. "Thank u for helping me raise these boys!! #weloveyou! G❤️K❤️Z❤️A gx," Stefani wrote in the post's caption at the time.

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