Well, it all sort of depends on what the custody arrangement will be. The phone calls are more for the parents than the kids. For instance, my D9 is with me most of the time. She rarely asks to call her dad, rarely does on her own her I pad. She has her own access to FaceTime. He rarely calls her on his off days.
My Longest my D and I go apart is Friday night to Monday night. Sometimes she calls me, sometimes she doesn't, but I don't call her because that's the time where she is focused on being at dad's house. And when she is there, even though she doest speak to him when she's not, she's living the life she has at her dads . I find it doesn't affect their R.
I honestly think what is better for the bond with their parenting time is to be engaged with the parent they are with. Putting pressure on them to speak with the other parent makes them feel guilty when they just want to be in the moment and live their little kid lives. The downward spiral happens when they are forced into a phone call. Especially at that age.
If phone call time is important, it needs to be set up where the kids aren't engaged in other activities. But it is hard to adhere to a schedule like that, because little kid lives are happening and they are really only aware of what's around them and what they are currently engaged in.
on the other hand, I think a parent who teaches out to call shows that they are there for them. that reassurance, even if they don't want to talk, is comforting to them. But the pressure when they don't want to is stressful
