'I try to be careful': Blake Shelton admits it's 'difficult' being stepdad to Gwen Stefani's three sons

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Blake Shelton considers his wife Gwen Stefani's three sons to be his own, but the country music star has acknowledged that it can be challenging to know where he fits in because the children's father, Gavin Rossdale, is still involved.

He noted on the Friday, November 10, episode of 'Today', "I've had stepparents. I think it's, in some ways, it's harder, more difficult," as reported by Okmagazine.

Blake Shelton is always there for his stepkids

Shelton added, "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."

Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale are not co-parents

Although Stefani, 54, and his ex-partner don't actually co-parent, the Bush singer, 58, acknowledged they share custody of Apollo, 9, Zuma, 15, and Kingston, 17.

He said in an interview, "I think you can go one of two ways — you can either do everything together and really co-parent, and see how that goes — or you can just parent. And I think we just parent."

Gavin Rossdale says he and Gwen Stefani are different parents

Rossdale continued, "We're really different people ... I don't think there's much similarity in the way we bring them up, but I think that gives them an incredible perspective to then choose which pieces of those two lives they'd like to inherit and move on with and which part of themselves come out of the whole process"

He concluded, "Because that's what's important, is to give them a wide view of things."

He added, "And we definitely have some particularly opposing views so I think it'd be really helpful for them to make their own minds as individuals."

The stunning blonde opened up about the painful aspects of their divorce in September, saying, "It was terrible ... When that happened, I had to literally start over again. It was a reset of my life."

Stefani and Blake first met on 'The Voice'

Stefani and the 47-year-old 'Barmageddon' host first crossed paths on 'The Voice' set in 2014, and the rest is history!

Stefani insisted, "I didn't see any of this coming with Blake,. This was just a big old 'What?' It was an amazing gift to experience love like that for the first time. He's changed my life ... when I [started dating] Blake, that's when I felt home, like, 'Oh, this is where I'm supposed to be, with this guy.'"

Even though it was on the music competition show that they first connected, Shelton ended his 23-season run earlier this year to spend more time with his family. However, Stefani chose to go back, meaning their quality time together was even less frequent.

He explained on Jimmy Kimmel's show, "I think I'd actually put out there to the press too because everybody wants to know, 'Why are you quitting? Why are you walking away from the show?' And it's like, 'Well, for the family, for more family time,'"

He added, "And then the very next announcement is, 'Gwen's coming back!'" He joked about his wife, "Maybe she doesn't want too much family time. Money talks in this industry!"