A close friend has just discovered her DH is having an affair. She has two very young children. He has lied to her over several months, maybe years, and has said some incredibly hurtful things about her. There is no way back, and she knows this in her heart, but is naturally struggling to come to terms with it. He has recently moved out leaving her to deal with the children mostly singlehandedly.
I am finding it incredibly hard to see her suffer so much and desperately want to help. However, I have no experience of relationships breaking down and young children being involved. I want to say and do the right things to help relieve the pain, however slightly, and to help her come to terms with all that has happened.
I therefore wondered if anyone could share their own experiences of how friends and family helping during a relationship breakdown. Was there anything someone said that struck a chord and helped in times of darkness? Any practical considerations for the first few weeks? Any acts of kindness that provided comfort? Conversely, was there anything you recall being particularly unhelpful, so I can avoid making the same mistake.