Three of the nation’s leading experts on the struggles of managing family and work talked today about what kids really think of their working parents, and it seems they think we are stressed.

Families & Work Institute head Ellen Galinsky, parenting expert and author Joshua Coleman and New York Times parenting blogger Lisa Belkin tackled this topic on a radio show this morning.

Their talk reminds us that the chaos of the work-family balancing act is also a critical element of early learning, though it doesn’t always get a lot of attention. While researchers, advocates and parents correctly focus on what defines a good early education, efforts to build a quality system should also focus on parents.

Now, I am too busy trying to manage my own work and family to listen to this program, but the tweets are striking:

“If they had one wish, kids would want parents to be LESS STRESSED.” – @FWINews

“Kids think parents don't like our work very much.” – @RisingMom.

(Check out all the Twitter comments at #fem2.0. You can listen to a recording of the show or other shows in the series here.)

This show is only the latest in a month-long series that ended today about issues facing working families, everything from “Superman versus Family Man” to “Work Policies and Single Women.”

Breaking Science News: While it’s not surprising, researchers offered examples of how moms help kids develop their brains, ScienceDaily reports in “Moms Influence How Children Develop Advanced Cognitive Functions.”