Rod Stewart has spent decades as one of rock’s most recognisable voices, but away from the stage his life is defined by a far quieter challenge: raising eight children in five different households. Now 81, he speaks candidly about the emotional juggling act of being present for each child while accepting that he cannot be a single, uniform version of “Dad” to all of them.
Instead, Stewart describes himself as “several different fathers,” a man who adapts to the needs, ages and histories of eight very different people. That honesty about the strain and the joy of parenting, especially later in life, has turned his family story into a kind of real-time case study in modern, blended fatherhood.
The reality of being “several different fathers”
Behind the glamour, Stewart’s home life is complicated and deeply human. The 81-year-old shares his eight children with five mothers, including his eldest, Sarah, who is 60, and whose early years were marked by adoption and later reconnection with her parents Jan and Susa. In recent reflections, he has admitted that Being a parent is not easy “even at the best of times,” and that managing those layered histories means he often feels he has to be “several different fathers” depending on which child he is with, a reality that plays out behind closed doors as much as in public.
That sense of multiplicity is not just a throwaway line, it is a philosophy he has been refining for years. In earlier interviews, Rod Stewart framed his approach as learning to Treat All of Them as individuals, stressing that each of his Kids needs something distinct from him at any given moment. He has described the happiness he feels when he sees his children thriving as adults, a payoff for the work of tailoring his style to each personality rather than forcing them into a single family mold.
Stewart’s evolving role is also shaped by age. He has spoken about how Being older has changed his patience level, saying he now tries to “keep my temper and not blow my top” when conflicts arise. That shift is especially visible with his younger children, who are growing up with a father who is more reflective and less reactive than the man their older siblings knew decades ago.
From lenient dad to involved late-life parent
Stewart is the first to admit that his parenting has not always been textbook. He has described himself as a “very lenient” father, contrasting his own laid-back manner with the stricter style of his mom and dad, especially his father, and noting that none of his eight children has “gotten into serious trouble” despite that softer touch. In his view, the key has been staying engaged and available, even when his career demanded constant travel, a balance he now believes he manages better than he did in his younger years.
That late-course correction is central to how fans and observers understand him today. One of his strongest beliefs, as admirers have noted, is in being an involved and attentive father who shows up with consistency, honesty and presence, particularly later in life when he has more time and perspective. Supporters point to that shift as evidence that he has worked to create stability at home, proving that a global artist can still prioritise family without pretending to be perfect.
Stewart himself has acknowledged that he has never tried to present himself as a flawless father, and that willingness to own mistakes has become part of his public identity. Those close to him say he has learned from earlier missteps and now leans into routines, communication and emotional openness, especially with his youngest children, as he tries to make the most of the years he has with them.
Eight children, one complicated but devoted clan
Part of what makes Stewart’s situation so complex is the sheer range of ages and life stages under one family umbrella. His youngest, Aiden Patrick Stewart, is 14, a child he shares with his current spouse, Penny Lancaster, as part of Stewart and Lancaster’s second child together. Aiden Patrick was born on Feb. 16, 2011, arriving decades after Stewart first became a father, which means the singer has been navigating school runs and teenage moods at the same time as watching older children build their own careers and families.
That multigenerational spread was on full display at the American Music Awards in 2025, when Five of Rod Stewart stepped onto the stage to surprise him with a tribute and reveal a sweet nickname they use for their father. The moment, which left Rod Stewart visibly moved, underlined how the children from different relationships can still present a united front, celebrating the man who has tried, however imperfectly, to knit them into a single extended clan.
Public glimpses like that are balanced by more unguarded flashes of personality. At the same American Music Awards, Stewart joked about having “eight [kids] all together” and even dropped an F-bomb in shock as he absorbed the surprise, a reaction that reminded viewers that the rock star persona and the family man are never entirely separate. The event, which also featured Janet Jackson leading the winners, captured Stewart as both veteran entertainer and slightly overwhelmed dad, caught off guard by his own children.
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