Kate Gosselin's Kids "Depressed" She's Away So Much for DWTS

Dancing with the Stars contestant Kate Gosselin has gone Hollywood -- and her eight kids back home in Wernersville, Penn. don't like it one bit.

Less than three months after Kate and Jon Gosselin's divorce was finalized, their 9-year-old twins and 5-year-old sextuplets are struggling with even more upheaval: DWTS has their mom 2400 miles away for at least three days a week.

PHOTOS: See Kate's suburban-to-glam makeover!

In fact, as she trained and promoted her DWTS stint (the show debuts March 22), Kate, 34, spent Feb. 21 to March 5 away from the kids, a source confirms in the new issue of Us Weekly.

Minded by five nannies in her absence, the kids "were asking, 'When is Mommy coming home?'" an insider tells Us.

PHOTOS: Check out snaps of the entire Gosselin family

Twins Cara and Maddy "seem depressed when Kate isn't around," another source says. Five-year old sons Aaden, Collin and Joel, meanwhile, "got into trouble at school for talking back to teachers," adds the source.

VIDEO: See Kate explain how she'll "kill" the competition on DWTS

But their mom, who "wants to be a huge star," justifies her work with a surprising comparison -- to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie!

"She says Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have lots of kids and their parents are away for long periods, working to support them," a family insider tells Us.

PHOTOS: See Kate's high school yearbook snaps

To read more about how Kate is "totally driven" to make it in showbiz, how she blew off Q-time with the kids for the tanning salon, what she told Us about DWTS and where Jon is lately, pick up the new issue of Us Weekly -- on newsstands today!