Britney Spears’s mother, Lynne Spears, 52, is breaking her silence and speaking exclusively with Life & Style about her troubled daughter.

For everything that’s gone wrong for Britney, “I blame myself,� Lynne says. “What mother wouldn’t?�

Britney’s breakdown — marked by excessive partying and her infamous head-shaving incident in February — seemed to start shortly after the singer split from ex-hubby Kevin Federline in November 2006. But in Lynne’s eyes, her eldest daughter’s problems began much earlier — when Britney was on her own without parental supervision.

“I wish I’d been there more while she was touring,� Lynne says. “But I couldn’t be. I had the other kids [Britney’s brother, Bryan, now 30, and sister Jamie-Lynn, now 16] to look after.�

And while Lynne seems unable to explain exactly what went wrong while Britney was out of her care, her conscience is heavy. “I didn’t raise my children to have Hollywood careers,� she notes. “This all just exploded in my face, and big dreams became big headaches.� Again, she says, sadly, “I do blame myself.�

Lately, Britney’s problems only seem to be getting worse. She’s lost custody of her sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to Kevin, though she’s now won the right to see the boys three times a week. But her visits must be supervised by a court-appointed monitor — who reportedly criticized Britney’s parenting skills and asserted that Britney is “often distracted and in her own world when she has the kids.�

But while Lynne is full of regret, Britney continues to party on — appearing oblivious to the severity of the situation. On Halloween, while the pop star was with her entourage at the Green Door in LA, she stopped to chat with Life & Style. Asked how she was coping, Britney replied, “It’s all good, I just deal with it.� In fact, she seemed more eager to talk about her skimpy outfit than about her children.

“I love Halloween,� she noted cheerfully. “It’s the funniest getting dressed up and stuff.�

Earlier that day, during a radio interview with Ryan Seacrest, Britney had a similarly cavalier attitude about the custody battle. When asked how often she gets to see her two children, she said, “That’s all, like, in the courts. Stuff like that, my lawyers do.�

Still, one friend of the singer contends that Britney is slowly starting to realize she has to accept the blame for her current situation. In fact, on the night of Oct. 30, the friend says Britney made this crucial admission: “I know I’ve made mistakes. It’s time for me to step up to my responsibilities.�

And she may already be taking steps — at least baby steps. On Nov. 4, a calm and unusually covered-up Britney was spotted pulling Sean and Jayden in a toy car during a supervised visit with the kids. Notes her friend, “Britney knows she has to get herself together.�

In the meantime, Lynne says she’s trying to help broker the peace by acting as a mediator between Britney and Kevin. “Here are two parents who care about their kids,� Lynne tells Life & Style. “They’re good people. With my daughter’s, Kevin’s and the boys’ interest at heart, I’m trying my best to bring them together, to bridge the gap. I think things are getting good.�

As for her own relationship with Britney — which took a sour turn in June when Britney handed her mom a letter demanding she stay away from her own grandsons — Lynne says it’s also on the mend.

“We’ve reunited,� Lynne says. “We’re friends.� Still, she notes, she and Britney aren’t going to be moving in together any time soon. “Britney’s not a keep-me-around person,� Lynne says. “I also have a 16-year-old to look after. I can’t be there for Britney all the time.�

For now, Lynne is counting on love and faith to help heal the past. “Britney and Kevin love their children more than anything in the world,� she says. “I pray and know everything is going to be good.�

Despite everything, “I’m very proud of all my children,� Lynne tells Life & Style. “Britney loves her kids from the pit of her soul.�