Thoughts?

I’m in the process of divorce and my ex wife and I are in agreement to keep things amicable for the sake of our kids. We both had different outcomes during our 6 month separation and eventually got to the point of reconciliation. BUT, it was very much one sided from the start of reconciling and about two weeks later she was in a new relationship. I felt completely blindsided.

It’s been a rough road so far and I’m hoping to get over the hump. Since we still live with each other for financial purposes I set a boundary that I brought up with her so I can have my space. She’s here for 2-3 days of the week to watch the kids while I work and then we switch while she works. She bounces back and forth from here and her boyfriend place, so on my days off I get to enjoy my space and the company of my kids. Anyways, the point of this rant is that she still forces small talk with me, keeps me posted with how her week or day has been going, all of the things that friends would do while we’re both in the same room. If the kiddos are in the same room as us I try my best to limit what I say to her as respectfully as possible.

She’s well aware that I’m not ready to take that step toward friendship since it’s still a fresh wound to me, yet she still goes out of her way to engage with me. There was even a time where she cried wishing I could be her friend I didn’t know how to respond. How can I be more assertive and respectful at the same time to tell her to respect my boundaries? Is no contact with kids helpful to detach and is it healthy?