Ex partner wants a phone call every night from children

[DearPru]

Split a few months ago from my ex. Children live with me and see him whenever he’s free. He’s been requesting a phone call every night before they go to bed after he gets home from work. I was happy to do this at the beginning as it was all so fresh and I didn’t want to upset the children anymore than possible. But now it’s becoming a bit of a pain as I have a faulty phone which means that if the children call him the phone disconnects when they’re holding the it, so unless I’m physically holding the phone to their ear for however long the chat goes on for, it hangs up and i have to call him back. Apart from that it’s smack bang in the middle of the bedtime routine so as much as I have no issue with the children chatting, I’d rather it didn’t mean i was stuck while the phone call goes on.
I messaged him tonight to explain this and said I don’t mind doing it when it’s a quiet night but if it’s been a hectic day or manic night then I won’t be phoning. His response was ‘I want to speak to them everyday so youll just need to’
Do any other parents who co parent know if a nightly phone call is the norm? Am I being a bad mum by saying it can happen when it’s suitable?

I think that’s a fair question to ask because coercive control is the real thing. It’s easy for a partner of any sex to use the children as a way of staying in your life. It’s horrid. I am going through it now. We have been split for 18 months and He has never called every day but I’ve cut All communication other than a phone calls and now funnily enough it’s every day. But as much as I hate it I allow it because it is what my son wants. It’s annoying because his dad has him three days a week and I never call because I like to give them that time. But as other people have said on here you have to do what’s right for the children so I just have to grit my teeth and get on with it