Luke Bryan is “in the sweet spot of being a dad” to 10-year-old Tate and 13-year-old Bo

Luke Bryan has always been a proud papa, but his two sons are at a particularly rewarding age right now, the singer tells People.

“As they grow older, it’s easier to let them tag along,” Luke explains, adding that 13-year-old Thomas “Bo” Boyer and 10-year-old Tatum “Tate” Christopher are becoming “little men” already.

“Their personalities are really different,” he continues. “…They become your buddies. I mean, they’re still your kids, you still have to do the discipline and you still have to teach them the right and wrongs of life, but they really morph into your buddies.”

Still, now that his kids are a little older, Luke’s enjoying involving them in his life and country music career. For example, during a show the singer performed on his birthday last week, Bo and Tate were among the family members to make a surprise appearance onstage.

“And I’m certainly in the golden years,” he concludes. “I mean, it’s like the sweet spot of being a dad right now, and you can let them tag along.”