I've never been married and I have no children, so obviously I'm probably not the best person to give advice, but my best male friend had exactly this happen to him 12 years ago and he has confided in me a lot. The most important thing is not to blame yourself, it was probably nothing you said or did that made her make the decision to leave you. It was just something she felt she had to do to save her sanity. It must have been the most difficult decision of her life to leave her kids behind, so try not to be angry with her either. Easy for me to say I know. But your anger will only eat away at you and cause upset for your children. Unfortunately my best friend has found that although his two sons were teenagers when their mother left, it is still affecting their mental state even now in their late 20's , and one of them is having a bit of a mental breakdown, and it all seems to stem from the breakup of the family unit. So just be aware of that, it's gonna be a tough road for you. So lean on your friends and other family members as much as you can, and you will find that they will deliver the help and love and support you need. Have courage my friend. x