Don’t know what’s come over me.

After imploding on the MTV Video Music Awards, being dumped by her manager and lawyer, and being forced into parent counseling in order to keep from losing custody of her sons, Britney Spears is facing her darkest hour yet.

Unfortunately, her problems aren’t just affecting the 25-year-old pop star, they’re having a negative impact on her children, Jayden, 1, and Sean Preston, 2, as well.

“Dealing with the kids after they come back from Britney’s is really hard on Kevin,” says a Federline pal. “It takes him three days to get them back on any type of schedule.”

And Spears’ friends and family aren’t the only ones who’ve expressed concern over the singer’s parenting skills. In a closed hearing on September 18, the L.A. Superior Court issued a list of rules Spears must follow to maintain shared custody of her children. These stipulations include meeting with a parenting coach for a minimum of 8 hours a week, and having supervised sessions with a counselor and her children.

At least one family source defends Spears, saying a lack of education is to blame: “She loves her children so much, but it’s like she’s never been taught how to properly take care of them.” Even when she holds her kids on her lap, says the friend, that maternal bond seems to be missing: “She looks lifeless. It’s like she doesn’t understand the impact of being a mother.”

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