In a candid Instagram post Britney Spears shared on August 24, the singer opened up about the toll of being temporarily estranged from her kids, Sean Preston, 19, and Jayden James, 18. "The hardest years of my life were my two sons gone for those 3 years. I was cut off from calling or texting ... my secret to survival was denial and a lot of tears," the pop icon said, noting that her short-lived marriage to Sam Asghari "almost felt like a fake distraction to help me deal with it." Over the last few months, Spears, 43, has been slowly rebuilding her relationships with Preston and Jayden. The boys moved to Hawaii with their father, Kevin Federline, in August 2023. As Us Weekly previously reported, Jayden reached out to his mom in late 2024 after years of barely speaking to her. A source tells Us he stayed at Spears' L.A. home between January and April, during which time they made serious strides. (He's currently living back in L.A., splitting his time between his mom's and a friend's house.) Now, the source says Spears and her sons are "healing together," adding, "the boys are maturing and they want their mom in their lives, and Britney is really happy about that. She's so grateful to have them in her life. She feels whole again." Adds a second

Source: "They've turned the page when it comes to their relationship.

" There was obvious tension between Spears and her sons when they declined to attend her wedding to Asghari in June 2022. Jayden spoke with the Daily Mail for an interview that aired on ITV shortly after, saying that while they were happy for their mom, "it just wasn't a good time to go," noting that she had ignored Preston's request not to post photos of him and that he was "hoping" she would stop sharing attention-grabbing content. In response, Spears penned a later-deleted Instagram post saying she was "deeply" saddened to learn she "wasn't up to" Jayden's "expectations of a mother." Britney Spears' Sweetest Moments With Sons Preston and Jayden By that June, however, there were signs of improvement, with Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan revealing the boys had called their mom for Mother's Day from Hawaii and that "the phone call was a good sign and a step in the right direction." Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA Jayden has been leading the charge to reconnect. "He always knew they'd find their way back to each other eventually, but he's grateful that it happened sooner than later," says a third source. "Britney and Jayden have had a close bond since he was very young, so slowly getting into their old groove has felt special and [healing for] both of them." While bunking with Spears, they spent a lot of quality time at her $7 million Thousand Oaks, California, mansion. "Britney and Jayden watched movies, cooked, worked on music together and played board games," says the first source. In June, she shared a sweet clip to Instagram of Jayden driving while she filmed him and put her fingers through his hair. "Even with their rocky past, it wasn't awkward," adds the third source. "They fell right into the swing of things like the old days." Preston is moving at a more measured pace. The first source says he visited L.A. twice while Jayden was there. "[He and Britney are] slowly building more trust. Britney respects his wishes and is being very thoughtful of his [feelings]," says the source, adding, "they're focusing on communication without judgment of one another. Britney's really listening now... Rather than playing her old-school parental role, she's humbling herself. What's most important is for them to have a healthy relationship." He and his younger brother have "processed" their past experiences with their mom differently, explains the source. "They've both been through different challenges with Britney. Jayden's healing process is a little further along than Preston's." Adds the third

Source: "He still has mixed feelings, but seeing Jayden reunite with Britney has given him hope for their own future.

" Britney Spears' Ups and Downs Over the Years The first source says Preston has been more open about expressing his opinions to Spears. "Preston has forgiven Britney for her more risqué social media photos, and he made it clear to her that he wanted it to stop," explains the source. (On August 28, she posted a photo of her nude backside with a rose emoji covering part of her butt; on September 1, she shared a video in which she dances to Cardi B wearing a sheer bodysuit with a flower emoji covering her nipples.) It's a work in progress. "Preston and Jayden struggled with finding calm [around Britney]," adds the source, "so she's been changing her behavior and tone with them." Courtesy of Britney Spears/Instagram Jayden is doing what he can to help his brother mend fences with their mom. "Jayden knows Preston's relationship with [Britney] has been more touch-and-go, so he tries to support Preston however he can - even if it's by doing something as simple as getting them on the phone [together