Blake Shelton Gets Candid About the ‘Responsibility’ of Being a Stepdad to Gwen Stefani’s 3 Sons

When Blake Shelton first started dating Gwen Stefani in 2015, he had no idea he’d become such a remarkable role model in her kids’ lives. Although the iconic country crooner adores being the stepdad of Kingston, Zuma and Apollo, he couldn’t believe the amount of “responsibility” he had in his new role.

“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 and there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that,” the 44-year-old explained to cohosts Carson Daly and Hoda Kotb during an appearance on Today on Friday, July 24.

But along with that responsibility comes a lot of fun. Blake noted he’s experienced things he always wanted to since Gwen, 50, and her children — whom she shares with ex-husband Gavin Rossdale — came into his life more than five years ago. “We’ve been doing things that I wished I had time to do for the last 20 years I guess,” he gushed.

The “God’s Country” singer said he especially loves having Kingston, 14, Zuma, 11, and Apollo, 6, at his ranch in Oklahoma. Blake and the “Hollaback Girl” songstress have been staying at his country home since they started quarantining there amid the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year.

“[We’re doing] literally stupid things like pick blackberries,” he explained, revealing he’s happier than ever. “We grew a garden … grew several acres of sweet corn.”

While Blake is over the moon about having the fun company at his ranch, an insider revealed Gwen feels just the same. “She prefers being [in Oklahoma] because there’s more space and plenty of things to do to keep the kids occupied,” the source told Closer Weekly in May.

“The kids love taking Blake’s boat out for a spin on the lake and enjoy fishing and other activities that involve them catching their own food,” the insider continued at the time. “If the weather’s nice, they’ll cook it on the BBQ afterward.”

Aside from having her beau’s compound as the perfect place to get away, Gwen couldn’t be more thankful to have Blake in her life. During a previous appearance on Today, the Voice alum — who was married to Gavin, 54, from 2002 until they split in 2015 — praised the Grammy winner for stepping up in her kids’ lives.

“He is a good dad, actually,” she sweetly insisted in September 2019. “He’s been helping me out a lot, so I literally get to the point where I’m like, ‘You gotta get home, I need help.’ It’s hard. I got three boys.”

Way to go, Blake!