[lupin3ken]

Good on you for getting out and showing your kids that it is ok to leave a bad relationship (even if they don't realize that is what you are doing at the time).

My father married a woman (my stepmother) who was abusive and manipulative and it took him awhile to be decisive and leave.

I didn't appreciate how hard it was for him to leave at the time and blamed him for part of it.

Now (a couple decades later) I am just grateful we got out at all.

Your kids might not realize everything that is going on right away. From my experience, there is a good chance they will see all you did for them one day.