Is Britney Really a Bad Mother?

Even for a tarty pop star, Britney has certainly fallen far and fallen fast. Her fans were excited, if a little confused, when she announced her engagement to Keven Federline (KFed.) They were thrilled when she revealed she was pregnant, and thrilled again a short time later when Jayden joined his brother Sean. Things were looking up for the Federline family, and then the house of cards collapsed.

Britney was still at the top of her game when she married KFed. Her first pregnancy was well documented and along the way we began to understand more about Britney through the media, her interviews and the reality show that followed the Federlines for a short time. No longer was Britney a diva on stage, she was a real person – perhaps a little too real for most of us.

Britney as a Mother
Britney’s parenting choices have been laid bare for the world to see. And apparently she isn’t making very good ones. On October 1, Britney lost custody of her two children due to her alleged drug and alcohol abuse and failing to meet the demands of the court. For many concerned citizens and fans, this decision has been a long time in coming.

Britney’s son Sean Preston is only two years old. In his short life, he has fallen from a highchair on his head, ridden with Britney sans carseat and seemingly spent more time with his “manny” than his mother. His brother Jayden arrived just a short time following his birth. Britney is now 25 with two children and a completely out of control lifestyle. There are even alleged allegations of possible abuse with Britney’s new restriction against corporal punishment.

When Britney and KFed split in a widely publicized (and anticipated) divorce, a full-fledged custody battle ensued. Custody has been joint up to this point, but Britney had the larger share. Now Kevin has custody of the two children until a court declares otherwise. Some are already speculating that this might be what Britney actually prefers.

Britney Out of Control
By all accounts, Britney is spiraling out of control. She has been photographed drunk and out of control with wild friends. Her children have accompanied her to hot spots as late as ten PM. She’s been to rehab for a month and shaved her head with the media looking on, not to mention showed the world her missing underwear. Even her much anticipated come back at the MTV music awards was more of a hindrance than a help. She appeared lethargic and perhaps not as toned and sharp as she should have been to reclaim her lost fan base and respect.

The final straw, at least for a judge, was when Britney blatantly disobeyed court orders. She was asked to take a parenting class with KFed, meet regularly with a parenting coach and take random drug tests throughout the week. She allegedly did not of this, and didn’t even sign the court papers telling her to. To top it off, she ran into a parked car without a driver’s license and her children in the back seat. The judge promptly removed the children from her custody.

The Verdict
So, by most accounts Britney needs substantial help with her parenting skills. She may love her children dearly but she is apparently not ready to tackle the difficult task of motherhood. But, if rumors are true and she intentionally disobeyed the judge knowing he would take her children away, it is possible she’s finally done the right thing. Perhaps in her own way, Britney realized that she is simply too out of control to be an effective mother and found a way to protect her children – at least for a little while.

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