Blake Shelton Opens Up About Being Stepfather to Wife Gwen Stefani's 3 Boys: 'I Try to Be Careful'

Blake Shelton is opening up about his relationship with wife Gwen Stefani's three boys.

On Friday, the country singer, 47, spoke with TODAY about his new restaurant's opening in Las Vegas, commenting on how he chooses to parent his wife's three sons, Apollo, 9, Zuma, 15, and Kingston, 17, whom she shares with ex Gavin Rossdale.

"I've had step-parents," Shelton said. "I think it's, in some ways, harder, more difficult. I try to be careful about when to step back and be smart about when to step back and just talk, but no matter what, I'm always there if I'm needed."

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In October, Shelton was photographed sharing a laugh with and pulling a subtle prank on Stefani's son Zuma as his wife received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Standing next to Zuma, he moved his hand from the teen's shoulder to stick his finger by his ear, causing him to laugh and shrug the feeling away. Shelton laughed at the moment as they continued to be photographed.

Speaking with PEOPLE last December, Shelton opened up about prioritizing family over career in this chapter of his life.

"If I walked away from my career at this time, the only thing that I run the risk of is having regrets that I'm missing out on some more important things in life. For now, that's our kids. This isn't about me anymore and never will be again," he shared.

"Even though I'm a stepparent, I take that job very seriously. The kids see me as a very important person in their life," he continued. "[When they ask,] 'Why isn't Blake here?' I take that stuff to heart. I've made plenty of money, but you can't buy time back. I don't want any regrets."