Britney Spears: I Need To Be Happy So My Kids Are Happy
 Courtesy Glamour |
Five platinum albums and eight number one singles later, Britney Spears‘ career shows no signs of stopping as her newly released single "Womanizer" quickly reached the top spot on the music charts in October. However, despite her continued success, Britney shares in a new interview with Glamour that her music commitments come at night, after she has dedicated her day to "spend most of the time" with her two boys Sean Preston, 3, and Jayden James, 2.
With ex-husband Kevin Federline having sole custody of Preston and Jayden, Britney takes full advantage of the time she shares with her children and wakes up to "fix breakfast" on the mornings they are together. Then the trio often take leisurely walks around the neighborhood, says Britney, who reveals that, despite the help of a nanny, takes care to be the primary disciplinarian in her household and raise her children to be respectful. Hopeful that the kids will "respect me by the way I carry myself," the 26-year-old is confident that in turn, Preston and Jayden will naturally "know how to respect other women" other than their mother.
"We have a nanny in the house, but there are always times when one of my kids does something bad or wrong and they’ll listen to me more than they do the nanny. So, I think it’s important to set that boundary of respect for them at a young age, so they will know, I better listen to Mommy."
With an "unconditional love" for her boys, Britney admits that she has struggled to find a sense of acceptance regarding her postpartum body. Only recently learning to "appreciate my body a bit more from before" she became pregnant with Preston, the mom of two shares that getting back into shape has been a challenge, to say the least. "[My body] completely changed and I have had to work hard at getting it back to where it used to be," says Britney, who goes on to reveal her past "obsession with working out." These days, however, time spent at the gym is often limited, as the singer "can’t get motivated right now because I’m so focused on my music."
Click ‘More’ to read about Britney’s advice for her sister and her family plans for the future!
Despite the continued excitement that constantly surrounds her, Britney laughs that her life is far less chaotic than it seems, even referring to herself as "boring." Spending her time in her bed watching her favorite shows or reading a good novel, Britney "hates clubs" and would much rather be at home with her family, including her 17-year-old sister Jamie Lynn who recently welcomed her first child, daughter Maddie Briann. Able to share the special bond of motherhood with Jamie Lynn, Britney — who recalls the pregnancy announcement to be "mind-boggling" — is quick to offer advice to the first-time mom, saying "you have to make sure you’re a happy mom, so [your kids] can be happy." She adds,
"As a mother, the one thing that always goes through your head is, you’re never enough. You never can be enough — or do enough — for your kids. It’s a never-ending issue for me. I had to learn: don’t beat yourself up so much…You have to take it one day at a time, do the best that you can and enjoy yourself. I notice that if there are some times I’ve been stressed, because I’m human and stress about things, that affects your kids."
With her priorities set on her family and her career, Britney prepares for the future and shares that in ten years, she would not only "love to have a lot of albums under my belt," but is hopeful to have completed a few film projects as well. As she envisions her life down the road, Britney — who admits raising her boys alone is "hard" work — looks forward to tying the knot, giving Preston and Jayden a "father figure…someone who is a provider and can be really stable."
Britney’s new album Circus is in stores on Britney’s 27th birthday, December 2nd.
Source: Glamour
- Posted on Dec 1, 08 at 2:00PM
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- 62 Comments
December 1st, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I’m glad to see that Britney is getting herself together. I hope she gets to spend more and more time with her boys.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I still find it very hard to take Britney seriously as a parent. She seems very self centered from what I read in interviews. I hope she is able to get her priorities straight before she misses out on too much of her childrens life. Those 2 boys deserve more.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:34 pm
I love Britney and am so happy for her. She has worked so hard to get where she is, and her boys are adorable!
December 1st, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Raising her boys alone ? Is that a joke ? She barely sees them and she doesn’t even have custody of them
December 1st, 2008 at 2:53 pm
How hard is it to raise the boys with limited visitation and supervision and a nanny. Kevin raises them…she visits.
December 1st, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Father figure? Don’t they already have a father in their life?
December 1st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
You know, she probably IS working hard to get it all worked out. But she grew up as this breadwinner for a whole family. It was always all about her. And I think that is going to take a long time to unlearn. She likely feels everyone is out to get her, that no one understands, that it isn’t fair. She has a difficult time grasping that we all have problems, we all have stress. It is hard to get out of ME mode when you have never ever been anything else. I hope she pulls it together – but it will take time.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
I think Brittany is working really hard to get her life back on track. Part of that is working on ‘her’, she needs to focus on living with her mental illness and righting her life. It seems like she is making the best of the time with her kids, while she is getting it together. Way to go Brittany!
December 1st, 2008 at 3:20 pm
she says raising her boys alone is hard work….but isn’t Kevin the one who’s raising them alone – with supervised visits from their mother!!!
I think it’s pretty obvious that Britney is not a well person, she doesn’t really seem to grasp what being a mom is all about or to understand all her father is doing for her – honestly if it wasn’t for him, then she wouldn’t even have supervised visits with her kids right now!
I do feel sorry for her, but at the same time it irritates me that she’s so ‘poor me’ and shes angry about the conservatorship.
More then anything I fell bad for the 2 little kids..
December 1st, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Raising them alone? What about Kevin who has full custody? And isn’t he a father figure for the boys?
And about her hating clubs, I’m not sure I believe that.
I hope everything gets better in this family for Preston and Jayden’s sake.
GL!
December 1st, 2008 at 3:23 pm
and her comments about giving Sean and Jayden a “father figure…someone who is a provider and can be really stable”, is really immature.
When Kevin got full custody, you never heard him say that he wanted to give S & J a mother figure who was stable, instead he’s always said he wants Britney in his boys’ lives
December 1st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Exactly what I was about to say Natasha…
I wish Brit would spend less time bashing Kevin in the media and more time w/ her kids and getting better herself.
And kudos to Kevin for not responding at her level – I fell like he really stepped up and took care of his kids (like a Parent should)
December 1st, 2008 at 3:36 pm
She really is not ready for this at all – she just keeps revealing how NOT ready she is! There is nothing wrong with taking him to get yourself well, and it really just seems like she wants to go back to the way things were, pretend they never happened, and not deal with anything that has happened in her life. She just comes off as so utterly immature and incapable of grasping what’s going on in her life right now.
I hope she gets well, I really do, but it seems like she’s not even close yet.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:41 pm
She is trying to be a better parent. There are many people out there that have kids and cannot or do not know how to take care of them. As a foster parent, I see it every day. At least she is trying and I give her credit for that. Her boys have been through a lot and as long as she and Kevin (goodness knows he has his own issues) put their kids first and work together to help them then it won’t be so bad. No one is a perfect parent. To each their own.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
i have to say, comparing britney now to how she was a year ago, i’m pretty impressed by how much better she appears to be getting. i thought she was doing well in her interview until the end when she talks about raising her kids alone (???) & that they need a stable father figure (umm…. they HAVE a stable FATHER). weird, but i wish her the best.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I’m dumbfounded as to why her kids need a father figure – they have a father who has full custody of them. It sounds like she needs a father figure for them while they are at her house, since a nanny isn’t enough help.. She is still living in a fantasy world and it’s the boys who will someday see how self centered their mother is (was)
December 1st, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Natasha- get your facts straight BEFORE you attack someone else! She see’s the boys a lot, even more than the custody agreement allows. They are in NYC with her right now.
She is raising the boys alone when they are with her. Last I checked she is a single parent since she’s not married & doesn’t have a partner. Not having custody doesn’t change that.
Vanessa-Kevin has plenty of hired help as well. Britney does more than “visit” them. They are both raising the boys.
Britney’s lucky. To not have any custody she gets to see her boys a lot. I know parents that have atleast some custody & still only see their kids ever other week.
She does have her priorities straight & isn’t missing out on their lives. She doesn’t sound self-centered. She’s trying to get her life straightened out & be healthy so she can be there for her kids. Now that’s a problem….
I do hope that she can let go of her Kevin bitterness . Considering Britney’s past problems I think It can only lead to trouble.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:50 pm
i agree with amy (8th from top) her father loves her and his grandsons so much, that tying her down has been the only solution, she doesn’t grasp nor appreciate this, she wants to instead sob about freedom, all we can do is hope for the best for those boys, they have supportive grandparents and an attentive father
December 1st, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I find Britney’s comments incredibly disheartening, however there’s no guarantee that the article is entirely spot-on in its portrayal. Her comments might have been led by the staff writing the piece, or taken totally out of context. As a journalist, I can say that it is very easy to shift a few words around or use something in a different context to please an editor or give a piece some controversy. I’m not saying that it’s right, mind you, just that it’s rarely wise to believe everything written about celebrities in major magazines.
As for Kevin not commenting, I was under the impression that part of the divorce agreement was that he was forbidden from discussing her and their children with the press. I could be wrong, and please correct me if I am. However, if he simply doesn’t slam her because he would face legal ramification, I’m not sure how much praise to hand over to him. He is clearly doing the best he can with the boys and I have total respect for that effort.
December 1st, 2008 at 3:58 pm
whoa seanjay, the ONLY reason that Britney gets to see her kids as much as she does is because Kevin allows her!!
He has full custody – a judge decided that he was a better more fit parent then her!
Kevin only allows her as much visits as she gets because her father is always there to supervise her. Without her father (whom she appears to fight every step of the way with)she wouldn’t have very many visits and wouldn’t be able to take her kids out of state, like she did a couple of weeks ago
December 1st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
SeanJay: You seem awfully defensive for a person who doesn’t even know Britney. Other people are allowed to have opinions too – we don’t all have to adore Britney the way some do.
I personally think it’s incredibly disrespectful towards Kevin and the nanny for Britney to say they need a father figure and to point out that they don’t listen to the nanny. She seems to be trying very hard to discredit the two people who have spent the most time raising those children. I hope she matures more in the coming months/years and stops with the passive-agreesive behavior towards her childrens’ father and nanny.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:05 pm
She is getting her self better & spending alot of time with her kids. So how are few quotes about kevin getting in the way??
I think some of you should take your own advice & stop spending so much time attacking Britney. People on this site attack her no matter what. The pics of all the time she spends with her kids are never even posted here save for about 2, so i’m not shocked
She does grasp what happened & is ready to move on w/ her life outside of the C-Ship. How is that immature? If that were trues she’d still be acting like she was a year ago. I also don’t get this “poor me” vibe from her either while I was watching her documentary.
Kevin stooped below her level via his lawyer, family & friends a longtime ago. So I can see why she feels the urge to get her shots in. Remember Kevin CAN’T directly talk about Britney, it’s not because he’s the saint most of you paint him as.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Lana, you know I think part of the custody thing might have been that he couldn’t talk about her but I also think I read somewhere that it was both of them – that they just weren’t supposed to badmouth each other (which would be nice for the boys , cos someday they’ll be old enough to read all this junk for themselves).
but even when there’s a gag order, you always get tidbits of info from “friends” staff etc, and I just wanted to say that I really feel Kevin hasn’t done that. I’m by no means a K-fed fan but I do think he stepped up and is doing a pretty good job
December 1st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
SeanJay, I’ve seen most of the pics you’re talking about – and she admitted in this very interview there is a nanny around all the time! So it is NOT just her being a parent to the boys. I watched the documentary, and my heart went out to an obviously suffering woman – a suffering woman who IS NOT ready to be a full-time parent to two small children on her own.
And she isn’t doing all the stuff she used to because her father won’t let her – he’s the only reason she stopped doing all that unhealthy stuff! If he hadn’t been there, she would probably be doing the same stuff, and wouldn’t see the boys at all, so.
Nobody here is saying Kevin is a saint. I don’t know where you’re getting that from.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I am a huge britney fan, but if anybody saw the documentary last night, she is far from being well and seems to me in articles, interviews, etc wants to blame her problems on the paparazzi, her dad, kevin, etc. She said her life feels like she in jail now because her dad goes everywhere with her and she goes to bed early, works, etc bascially all the normal things people are supposed to do in life lol. Well would she rather be in so called jail or showing her crotch, going bald, and barely seeing her kids like last year. She needs to forget about her kids needing a father figure, they have a father who has primary custody of them and so far has come across more stable than her with these children. She also mentioned yesterday loving men with all her heart and wanting to marry. She needs to stay focus on the present and forget men, she has a long road ahead of her and it’s time to take responbility for your own actions at 27yrs old britney. I have a feeling the minute her dad isn’t in the picture, she will start partying and going back to her old ways. She doesn’t seem to understand that without her dad she wouldn’t be doing better or seeing her kids more regulary.Preston and jayden are beautiful kids, I hope they can have somewhat of a stable life growing up.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
LMAO at Britney, I mean SeanJay.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I thought it was sweet that her sons listen to her more than the nanny and that she takes her responsibility to discipline her children seriously – I bet a lot of stars would fob that responsibility onto the nanny. The father figure comment – I read it as if she marries again, she wants him to be someone who is suitable to be like a father to her children. I think any parent who marries again wants to ensure their partner is a suitable parent figure for their kids as well as spouse for them, regardless of the situation with the other parent.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:39 pm
I watched her documentary last night and I felt sorry for her. Britney is not a saint by any means, but neither is Kevin, the reason why he’s not saying anything about Britney is cause he can’t it was part of their prenup agreement. I think she’s doing much better than before but I think she still needs to resolve some inner issues which takes time. She does seem bitter because I believe she did love Kevin and in my opinion I don’t think he returned that love. For the first time she’s opening up about it so I think nothing is off topic including her ex-husband. As far as her kids go I think she’s trying her best. I think it’s a long work in progress for her and being criticized for every step of the way is not easy expecially when one has a mental illness.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Why do you all bash her when she’s trying? People are always out to knock someone down when they are trying. I am so glad she’s still alive, and doing better! We all need to hope for the best for her and her children.
December 1st, 2008 at 4:57 pm
This interview kind of made me feel sorry for Britney. She’s clearly not entirely well – she has a lot of anger left inside her that comes out with the comments she makes about needing a ‘father figure’ for her kids, and ‘being happy so her kids could be happy’.
I think it is completely clear in this interview why her dad is still in control of her. She still seems to be struggling with her bipolar disorder.
But on the nice side – it is great to read that she spends her time with her kids. Hopefully that time with her kids keeps her grounded and happy.
December 1st, 2008 at 5:37 pm
This girl is still a H.A.M. I was completely on her side when her mother wrote that tell-all book about her, because I think private family issues should be kept private. But to read and see her bad-mouthing the father of her children in public (whether warranted or not) is poor judgement and in bad taste. I will say again, while our judicial system is not perfect, judges do not award full custody to the paternal parent without some serious just cause and deliberation. She’s so simple and silly she is giving more ammunition to use against her in court by bad-mouthing him to the press. She refuses to take any responsibility for her failings as woman and mother.
December 1st, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Britney has made huge strides in her recovery. People need to remember that this girl has a severe mental illness and being able to spend time with her children is a giant success for her. She is stable on medication and is, I think, entitled to a little bit of “poor me” once in a while. A young woman who had everything that was struck down by a debilitating illness and has begun a slow painful climb back up deserves respect not scorn. Mental illness is an illness. If she had cancer or something equally terrible, she’d have all kinds of sympathy. But mental illness is still looked at with ridicule. I work with people who have a mental illness and see their struggles every day. I hope Britney is able to stay on her meds and remain stable enough to be a part of her children’s lives. People with mental illness have the right to marry, have children, and raise their children.
December 1st, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Well, this is a better interview than the Rolling Stone one. I initially was pretty happy to see her getting her life together…she HAS made some great strides. But she seems very resentful of the work her father has done to get her life on track, as if she’s been imprisoned. In my opinion, there should be less of a focus on her making a comeback and more of a focus on getting healthy. Because she doesn’t seem there yet.
And the comments of the father figure are more indicative of Britney wanting a man in her life than a father for her kids. Those boys have a dad already.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:23 pm
why do celebrities always say it’s so hard raising kids when they have god knows how many nannies and people that take them wherever they need to go and cook for them? try being a real single parent for a while Britney. do EVERYTHING for your kids instead of letting other people do everything and then talk about how hard it is. I watched some of the documentary and she doesn’t seem ready to be a full time parent at all. she didn’t even have enough respect for Kevin to call him her ex-husband,he’s her ‘babies daddy’. that’s horrible. if she hates clubs why did she used to go to them all the time? I actually have to commend Kevin for actually taking care of his responsibilites and taking care of his kids. she doesn’t need to find a father figure for the boys,they have a father and even if Kevin wasn’t in the picture kids don’t NEED two parents. look how many single parents there are in the world.
December 1st, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Why is everybody saying that Kevin doesn’t bash her? He’s barely ever interviewed! He was just a back dancer and is now an “aspiring rapper”. Let’s discuss that when he was interviewed.
Also, he left his pregnant girlfriend for Britney but everybody has forgotten about that and now is calling him the perfect dad!
Come on people, give the girl some credit. She’s improved so much over a year and is trying to be better…what else can she do? certainly she can’t turn back time.
As for raising them alone, she might have meant when she regains the custody or be referring to the times she spends with them right now.
Maybe she wants a father figure for those times as well, why so negative?
December 1st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
In my opinion when she says father figure and stable….she is hinting more at the financial side. Yes Kevin has full custody because she had a MENTAL breakdown. The kids have the same amount of nanny care with him as they do with her. Where does he work? Where is his income coming from? HER
I dont feel he is a good father figure….SO what he stepped up to the plate when she was having her issues….those are his kids… He was suppossed to. I am not going to give him any accolades for doing that. When it all comes down to it…SHE supports all of them. They would not live the lifestyles they live without her. SHE has a MENTAL illness….yet SHE continues to work hectic hours and cant even enjoy the fruits of her labor. If she did still like clubs why cant she go? Going out makes you a bad parent? WHere does he works again? I see plenty of pictures of him in Vegas and on golf courts.
When I look at her a see a scorned women…still bitter that the man she feel in love with said he loved her the same only to realize he was lying! It hurt her deeply, maybe more deeply than it may have hurt someone else. She could not deal with that hurt and her emotions thus the breakdown. WHat makes this whole scene sad to me….is that another scorned women may have slashed her mans tires…played on his phone…. whatever…. but it would have been considered Growth for that woman. Learning from past mistakes for that woman….GET him girl…for that woman. Gut for her…. I would have never thought her situation would turn out like this.
December 1st, 2008 at 8:44 pm
I agree with Artemis. . . leave the poor girl alone! She probably wants a stable father figure such as a husband who stays with her and supports her. I have experienced this with a friend of mine. Her daughter’s father, called her at our workplace and told her she was a bad mother for leaving her child at her parents’ house while she was working to support her child! My friend actually started to cry and I know she’s a great mom. Now, my friend has a boyfriend who is the child’s father figure. So that’s what I think Britney is saying. Think about Heidi Klum and Seal. Seal is not Leni’s biological father, but is her primary father figure. Maybe that’s what Britney thinks. I’m not a huge Britney figure, but like SeanJay, I think these opinions are extreme. Britney also is very sick mentally so give her a break. I myself have been depressed so I know what she’s going through. You feel like you havve to be self-sufficient radically. You feel so alone because you feel that no one is experiencing the same feelings you do. Consider that disorders are never curable, and that Britney is not in her right mind before passing judgement. She may not be up to your standards but she is a human being. So lay off and let her recover because all this negativity toward a sick person is awful.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:00 pm
This article truly didn’t bother me until the last sentence about a “stable father figure” – I just don’t get what she’s trying to say here?!
I didn’t see her documentary nor did I care to cause I’m not falling into this “poor me” scenario. Yes Brit is sick and I know several people myself with mental illnesses but still don’t condone their actions. They may have “troubled” minds but we can’t always be making excuses for their behavior. To me it seems as though Britney is pushing aside all that’s happened, pretending it was “no big deal”, and now is ready to be mother of the year! Nice try!
This child needs to worry less about a career comeback and stay focused on healing her soul cause these last two interviews proved she’s not ready. And I fear this will just lead to another downward spiral in her life.
December 1st, 2008 at 9:46 pm
While I will give Britney mad props for trying to reclaim her life, she is still acting like the spoiled, immature brat she has always been (from before she had children). All of her songs and interviews were about ME, MY way, MY wants, MY needs I’m a grownup, let ME do whatever I want. It was always my major beef with Britney, that she based her entire life around rebelling against pretty much everyone. Then she married Kevin, got mad when he wanted a life and a career outside of her (she has said many times that her reason for the divorce was he wanted to build his rap career)instead of being her kept man and then lost it when he didn’t come crawling back to her. He stopped playing the Britney game. Now she spends all her interviews badmouthing him, meanwhile the only reason her kids are safe and warm and happy and that she got any kind of help initially was because Kevin put his foot down, called 911 and forced her to get the help she so desperately needed! She should be down on her knees THANKING her father and Kevin for caring enough about her and her boys to stop her from killing herself. Kevin is not perfect, nor is he a saint, but he clearly stepped up to the plate, didn’t badmouth Britney, in fact he defended her last year after the Sarah Silverman sitch and this she publically badmouths him. She should hope he doesn’t recoil to these shots and enforce the custody arrangement as it’s written, instead of being so generous.
I’ll get off my soapbox now, but it really bothers me that Britney didn’t learn from any of this and she’s still her selfish and spoiled self, turning her nose up and those who wanted to help her and her boys.
P.S. She is not raising them “alone”, she and Kevin are raising them together, he moreso than she.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Britney has had a fast and confusing upbringing, so it’s of no surprise that at some point things would come crashing down.
It sounds like she’s on the right track, thanks to her familial support. I hope this continues. So she doesn’t have custody of her children-most men don’t but are still considered to be in partnership with “raising” their children. In this case she’s making the money and the kids are raised by stay-at-home Kevin. Whatever works.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:53 pm
m-dot- Kevin isn’t a stay-at-home dad. He’s a DJ and an apsiring rapper.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:57 pm
Everyone, at some point in their life, has talked about their baby’s daddy. She’s no different, she’s human. Kevin is definitely not a saint, and i can understand why she would say the things she says about him. Let’s see Kevin has two other kids with another women, does he ever see them? My guess is no. Do Jayden and Sean get to see their other siblings, probably not. She even said she married Kevin for the wrong reasons. At least she is trying her hardest. She’s doing what she has to do, and I’m glad for her. At least she’s working hard to support her kids. Everyone knows Kevin is such this big ‘rap star’ that he can make do for them. She going to stay strong no matter what anyone says.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:07 am
I don’t see anything wrong with her saying she wants a father figure for her kids. If anything I take it as saying she won’t date scummy guys anymore. Step parents are important as well.
Britney is the provider in the family, of all the family from her mother to Kevin. So, no I don’t think it’s easy to do everything and try to be a mother even if she doesn’t have the kids full time.
Kevin doesn’t bash her because nobody interviews him. Though I think having an open custody hearing when he could have asked for a private one could be considered not exactly loving to the mother of his children.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:11 am
Now she spends all her interviews badmouthing him, meanwhile the only reason her kids are safe and warm and happy and that she got any kind of help initially was because Kevin put his foot down, called 911 and forced her to get the help she so desperately needed!
—-
Hm that is totally untrue. Her father is the one who helped Britney, Kevin had nothing at all to do with it. In fact he stood on the sidelines hoping she’d mess up enough so he could get more custody.
Britney has said a few things about Kevin that is hardly “bashing” at all. People act as if Kevin is a saint for not working at all, leaving his other family and Sean and Jayden and then “Stepping up” when Britney became unable to take care of the kids. Britney owes Kevin nothing. She pays him enough, that’s thanks enough. They are his kids too.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:37 am
While I disagree with a lot of no’s comment, she is correct that it wasn’t Keven who “forced Britney to get the help she so despretly needed.”
From what I’ve read about the incident that lead to her first hospitilization, it was the court appointed moniter who called 911 (at the time, Britney’s visits with her boys were required to be surpervised. I get the feeling that she no longer has a court appointed moniter for the visits, however, as she has taken the boys out of state. I think her father moniters the visits now).
The second time around, I’m not sure who had Brit taken to the hospital, but again, it wasn’t Kevin. Apparently, Brit’s parents and some other people staged an intervention. Not only that, but Britney, from what I’ve read, went willingly to her second hospitilization (unlike the first time, when they had to strap her to a gurney).
I remember reading in PEOPLE magazine that someone (I forget who) said that it was “Almost as if Britney knew that she needed to go (to the hospital).”
As for her comment about hating clubs, despite the fact that she was seen going to them all the time, I truly believe that, to an extent, Britney didn’t really know what she was doing during her downward spiral (especially during the later part of it). If you look at pictures of her during that time, especially around the time of her hospitilizations, she looks dazed, confused, and lost in a lot of them.
Also, she was allegdly drugged during the later part of her downward spiral (her parents accused Sam Lufiti of drugging Britney, among other things, when they sought to get the restraining order against him). That could certainly make a person not realize/understand what they’re doing.
Anyway, it could very well be that Britney hates clubs because, now that she’s on meds for her bi-polar disorder and can look back at what really went on during her downward spiral, she finds that clubs just remind her too much of that time.
Sometimes it’s just too painful to do things and/or do things the same way after a bad experience. I speak from personal experience here!
All of that said, I completely agree with everything Carol said. I have felt sorry for Britney ever since I first saw the pictures of her being taken away in the ambulance for her first forced hospitilization. Those pictures showed a woman (and yes, Britney is a WOMAN! She may ACT like a kid at times, but she’s 27 years old! That’s definently not a kid!) who was clearly not well.
Then, just before her second hospitilization, I saw a picture (on PEOPLE’s website, I believe), of her sitting on a curb holding her Yorkie puppy London (who, sadly, was probably her only true friend, and the only one showing her unconditional love, at the time), and crying.
My heart broke for her when I saw that picture. I wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and give her a hug. Since that time, I have been rooting for her every step of the way, and I was so happy for her when I learned that she had re-gained visitation rights.
Healing from a Mental Illness is a slow, one step-at-a-time process (and it’s also important to celebrate even the tiniest baby step), and I believe Britney will get there eventually. However, it won’t happen overnight, and until it does, she needs all the help and support she can get!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:41 am
MandyLou- Kevin DOES see his older kids. I believe Shar has said that they have joint custody of them. Also, I have heard several different places that Sean and Jayden DO see their older siblings (Kori and Kaleb were even at Sean and Jayden’s joint birthday party last year!).
Just because we don’t see pictures of Kevin with Kori and Kaleb or of Sean and Jayden with Kori and Kaleb doesn’t mean they never see each other!
Since we rarely see Kevin out with Sean and Jayden, it shouldn’t be that surprising that we rarely see him out with his older kids, either. Kevin seems to very protective of his kids.
Oh, and Kevin works to support his kids, too. As I mentioned earlier, he’s a DJ.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:51 am
Yikes! I apologize for the long post!
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:41 am
I am so incredibly sympathetic towards this young woman. She was poked, proded, staged, marketed, etc. etc. at the most impressionable time of a girl’s life (around 16 and 17). She did whatever she wanted and nobody had the guts to tell her no because she was making zillions and zillions of dollars for everyone. She is clearly an entertainer and many people “stuck gold” in relation to her. She has gone through a lot (more than I would ever wish on anyone) and all under the entire world’s eyes and scrutity. She is bound to have issues after all that. The poor woman cannot even take a walk down the street without a security guard (or two…or tweleve)…
I am rooting for her all the way. She has come far. She has a lot more obstacles to overcome than the average person. And I think it is extremely obvious how much her children mean to her. I think she just feels the need to say things to prove that she loves them…which usually backfires becuase everyone has to read so much into everything…
And I really enjoy watching her performances and listening to her music. I am happy to see her back and doing what she loves, surrounded by a good group of people.
Go Britney!
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:19 am
To be honest I have not read most of the posts. Just because she only has visatation does not mean its easy to help raise her boys. I just want to say that Mental Illness is serious. She did not choose to have a ‘mental disease/illness’ for publicity, nor did she choose mental illness to be a part time mom. In order for her to be “healed” one must always take their meds. I wish her the best. She has a mom, dad, sister and brother that love her unconditionally, And fans that are praying for her.
Getting and feeling better does not happen overnight. (Im sure they wish it did) The medication takes about 6 weeks before one even feels a slight improvement. And like I said before it will remain a life long battle.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:40 am
I found it a little strange how she felt the need to point out, “the kids listen to me more than the nanny.” It’s sad that she feels that she has to justify herself as a mother to the media. I’ve never been a fan of her but I do feel bad for her and am glad to see that she seems to be doing better.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:19 pm
well i’m not very happy by the comment she made on kevin but i can completly understand. at the time she was married, kevin was absolutly not a stable figure to the kids so maybe she says that meaning the next time she marry it will be different. she does not look selfish and always taling about “me” “me” “me”. she’s in interview so she just answered question.
as for the one who say it’s unrespectful to call kevin her babies’dady rather than her ex-husband i disagree. that show they will always be link through thoses adorables kids and that take away a little the bitter a divorce can bring IMO.
however i have to admit she seems to need a little more time to recover fully so it’s kind of normal she’s still a litlle “imatur” or not fully aware.
awww! i just saw her performing her new song in NYC and Jayden and Preston were in the audience. i wonder what they think about their mom!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:20 pm
“Why is everybody saying that Kevin doesn’t bash her? He’s barely ever interviewed! He was just a back dancer and is now an “aspiring rapper”. Let’s discuss that when he was interviewed.”
Artemis, you’re missing the point. Kevin could have easily done tons of interviews to bash her. But he chose not to. He chose to only talk to the press about stuff related to his own career. He did do interviews during the time she was having her breakdown, he just didn’t discuss her.
“I agree with Artemis. . . leave the poor girl alone!”
Silermouse: She is not a girl. She is a 27 year old woman who has chosen to do interviews. She is chosing to put herself in the spotlight by doing those interviews, therefore she is chosing to open herself up to comments from others. We are not all obligated to give Britney a free pass as if she is a 3 year old who doesn’t know what she’s doing just because some people want to. She is an adult and should be held to the same standards that the rest of the world is held to, but for some reason Britney can do whatever she wants to and have a whole army of people ready and willing to excuse, justity, and enable her behavior no matter how bad it may be. No wonder she doesn’t seem to see anything wrong with her own behavior, she has been told for so long by people like those in this comments section that she it’s not her fault and that she’s young and that she can’t help it becuase she has an illness and that she should be cut some slack. No one is doing her any favors by making excuses for her, you’re just enabling her to continue to make bad choices.
“she is correct that it wasn’t Keven who “forced Britney to get the help she so despretly needed.”
Celebbabylover: Actually, Kevin did force her to get help, the first time. In the early part of 2007 he forced her into rehab by telling her he wouldn’t sue for sole custody if she got help. She went in and he kept up his part of the agreement. That is until Britney went back to her hard partying ways and he filed for full custody (and rightly so). He tried to help her.
I honestly don’t understand some of these comments of “she’s trying her best” and “why are you trying to knock someone down who is trying so hard”. Give me a break, just because someone is trying (and we don’t really know if she IS trying her best or not) does not mean that everything she does and says is justified, or that we are all required to turn the other way and not be upset when she says or does something that is bad for her children. Honestly, from the sound of some of these comments, Britney is being treated as the child whose feelings are the most important thing when it is really Sean and Jayden whose feelings should matter the most.
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:35 pm
Wow, some of these comments in here are unbelivable, “Stop judging her” and “leave her alone” and “it’s not her fault….” followed by the reason why nothing that Britney does is wrong or bad and why nothing that has gone wrong in her life is her fault or her responsibility, usually then followed by some rude comment about Kevin that’s filled with information that no one from the outside looking in could possible know for sure.
I just have a question for those of you defending her: At one point does Britney stopping being “young” and start being responsible for her own actions? At what point does her “strange childhood” stop being a justification for everything that she does wrong? At what point are you going to start putting the welfare of Britney’s children above what Britney wants and needs and thinks and says and does? At what point are you going to start holding Britney to the same standards that you hold everyone else?
Lots of people have difficult childhoods where they have to grow up too fast. Lots of people have mental illnesses. Lots of people are in the public eye. None of those things give a person a free pass to do and say and be anything they feel like doing/saying/being, especially when it’s to the detriment of everyone around them. None of those things make it acceptable for Britney to do one “poor me” interview after another or to insult her childrens’ father, or to do any of the things that some of you are trying to justify. None of those things equates to us not bein able to be upset when Britney does something that is unacceptable. If others want to continue to make excuses for her then go ahead. But it’s an insult to every person who is bipolar, and every person who has had a difficult childhood, to pretend like those things makes a person incapable of doing better than the way Britney is behaving. She is not doing her children any good by saying snotty things about their father and I will not pretend like it’s okay or justified or a good thing just because there are some who are willing to excuse everything she does.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Amen Sarah!
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Lis and mary- ITA! And for the record, I don’t think any of us are trying to say that Britney should get a free pass just because of her mental illness. All we’re saying is that, because she DOES have a mental illness, we should at least try to be a little understanding.
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:49 am
As a single mother, who my childs father is still involved in my daughters life (he has her twice a week) i eventually want to settle down again and im not settling for any man that isn’t a father figure to my daughter. he needs to be stable, exactly what britney is saying. it doesnt mean i want them to take over her fathers role, i just dont want some loser guy being in her life and i think thats what she means too…her kids can have more than one father figure
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
It never ceases to amaze me how people can attack this woman. I don’t think some of you fully understand what having a mental illness is like. It is pure, unadulterated hell and unless you’ve been through, you are really in no position to judge. Is Britney doing better? To my eyes yes. Does she have a long way to go still? Once again, yes. But you have to remember that one time she was one hell of a sick young woman. She needs to stay on the path she is currently on. Calling her a spoiled brat, et al is a just being ignorant. Before she got on her meds, her ILLNESS was making the decisions for and now that she is on meds she has to work through everything that happened to her due to her illness. It will take time to do that and not namecalling.
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Britney has a long road to go still, but she’s doing better. She’s working, she’s not with people who bring her down anymore, and she’s seeing her boys. Why the attacks? She cannot help the way the magazines word things.
As for the stable provider part, well, let’s take a long look at Kevin, shall we?? What exactly does he do for a living? We know he can’t rap or act, so where does his money come from? Oh yes, from Britney… he got money from the prenup and he gets something like $10K in Child Support. He’s still driving around in nicer vehicles than most people and living in a huge house. But yet, he has no job. Britney is the only ‘provider’ financially for those boys. Kevin is just mooching off of her like he always has… no surprise there. Stop acting like she’s attacking him when she’s only saying the truth. If Britney wants to settle down again, it needs to be with someone who can be a stable, father figure and help her provide for those boys. Eventually she’ll turn around enough to get them back… and then Kevin will be back to being what everyone knows he is, a BUM!
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Nicole- How many times do I have to say this? KEVIN HAS A JOB!!!!!!! He’s a DJ!
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Dawn- Thank you! That’s exactly what I was trying to say!
December 4th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Thanks, CelebBabyLover.
December 6th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
here here, Dawn. Team Brintey all the way. And in no context in the Britney doc on MTV did I hear her say that Kevin was a bad father to her boys. Maybe Kevin and her just didn’t click. They are both good parents and I’m sure Britney understands that. I also think she has always been pressured to blow things out of proportion since she has been in the limelight so much and remaments of her behavior of encouraging the paparazzi still probably exist. I think you ladies are (with the exception of a few wise posts) blowing this whole thing up and expecting Britney to change dramatically overnight. In no way is she acknowledging that she’s totally cured. I doubt she fully understands what’s going on in her head (not calling her stupid)at this point. With time she will improve. Mental illness takes months or even years for major improvements.
At least she’s not on pills, heroin, or prostituting.