Malini has a lot of regrets about her parenting - but her daughter Raji remembers things differently. Malini raised her family in a big multigenerational household in India, with relatives coming and going and little privacy for anyone. She and her mother-in-law were both strong personalities, and sometimes her daughter was caught in the crossfire. Malini writes a letter to Raji about her regrets over the past. Was she too strict? Was she too possessive? Did Raji decide to move away to get...

Joy Kendi doesn’t want her hair to define her – so she shaves her head. Joy is an influencer in Kenya who’s known for her personal style – sometimes she has tight curls, sometimes long braids or a perfect afro. But she wasn’t always so confident in her appearance. Growing up in the US, she wanted to look like the other girls around her, and didn’t know how to take care of her natural hair. She joins Namulanta in the studio to talk about all things black hair – the salon experience, the...

Mary receives a menacing message and decides to leave her home. Mary has lived in Florida ever since her university days. It’s where she fell in love, met her Taiwanese husband, and had two children. With hopes of her children growing up and going to college in Florida, Mary thinks she’ll live there for the rest of her life. But that all changes when, at 40 years old, Mary receives a menacing message that makes her move her Asian-American family 2,000 miles across the country. Race,...

Wen is raised believing sex is taboo but knows she must change for her daughter’s sake. Her grandmother was ashamed to talk about it. Her mum and dad had to visit the biology section of the library to find out how to do it. Wen wants to create a safe space at home to talk more openly with her daughter. Letter writer: Wen Namulanta Kombo and parents build a “handbook to life”. Sharing your parenting advice, personal stories, and letters to your daughters. What will you tell your children? If...

New mum Janine Harouni is anxious and lonely, so why do the other mums online look so happy? She was performing stand-up comedy while 40 weeks pregnant, but now there's a whole other set of challenges. On social media, she sees pictures of pregnant models who don’t appear to gain weight. Nobody seems to talk about the gross parts or the difficult parts. She’s exhausted and full of worry. Then a surprise family DNA test changes her perspective on motherhood. Letter writer: Janine...

Anna fights her eating disorder, knowing she needs to be healthy if she wants to be a mum. She spent half her life dealing with the condition, until she was finally diagnosed and treated. Now she is working on getting better, trying to appreciate the joys in life again, and regain the spark she feels she lost. She writes a letter to her future daughter about how to avoid the “perfect trap” in which she found herself. Letter writer: Anna Namulanta Kombo is creating a "handbook to life" for...

Namulanta’s father Musikari Kombo is a politician – he’s an anti-corruption campaigner in Kenya, and before that he was a successful businessman. But what that meant for his children was that when they were growing up, he wasn’t around much, because he was so busy. Now he comes into the studio to read Namulanta a letter about family values, the importance of friendship - and how he’s making up for lost time with his grandchildren. Letter writer: Musikari Kombo Namulanta Kombo is creating a...

Juggling your responsibilities to your work and your children – it’s the eternal battle for working parents. Solene in London tells Namulanta about mum guilt, sticky doors, and the moment at the school gates that made her realise she’d got her priorities wrong. Letter writer: Solene Please send Namulanta your letter. Email us at [email protected], send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

Nadiya Hussain, TV chef and winner of The Great British Bake Off, writes a letter to her 13-year-old daughter about how to make space for herself wherever she goes. When Nadiya was a teenager she had big ambitions – but it felt like the world around her kept trying to hold her back. She tells her daughter to keep her elbows out and not let anyone squash her dreams. Plus, Nadiya gives Namulanta advice on raising teenagers, talks about how her relationship with her own mother changed after...

We’re back! Join us weekly from March 1 for the third season of the award-winning BBC World Service podcast Dear Daughter. Namulanta Kombo is putting together a “handbook to life” for her daughter with letters of advice to help her navigate the world ahead, and she needs your help. This season, Namulanta will talk to letter writers from Hong Kong to Copenhagen about everything from body image to blended families to the horrors and joys of pregnancy. Celebrity baker Nadiya Hussain gives...

Other people’s children. The mothers who leave their own families behind to care for someone else’s. This special episode, from The Documentary, is hosted by Dear Daughter’s Namulanta Kombo. She speaks to women from around the world who are in the so-called “global care chain”. The Documentary, from the BBC World Service, is the home of original storytelling – bringing the globe to your ears. News about season 3 of Dear Daughter will be coming here soon.

Disastrous dates and how to make a relationship last. It's our second live show in Nairobi, Kenya. We hear a tale of a truly disastrous date and find out about the tough dating scene in Nairobi. Plus, advice on how to make a relationship last, while holding on to your own identity. Letter writers: Stand-up comedian Maina Murumba and public commentator Daisy Maritim Maina. This is the final episode in season 2. Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and...

How to approach dating. Tips and laughs, as we explore relationships and the highs and lows of dating, in our first ever live show. Hear from our guests and audience in Nairobi, Kenya. Our letter writers tell their daughters that they need to set boundaries, have mutual respect and not to settle for less than they deserve. Letter writers: Tatiana Karanja and Peter Nduati. Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your...

“Fly the plane”, volunteer and keep asking why. Andy is an airline pilot from Northern Ireland. He tells his son to avoid being thrown off course by life’s many distractions, volunteer for everything, and keep asking questions. The final golden rule? Always stand up to inappropriate locker room banter. Plus, Namulanta has a letter for her son too. Letter writer: Andy Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on Send us your letters. #DearDaughter

It’s a girl! Bucking the trend of wanting a son. Shakti was keen to have a daughter, but explains that in India there’s a lot of cultural pressure to have a son. When she was growing up, people were always asking her parents if they were going to try for a boy - making her feel unwanted. Now, Shakti writes to her daughter explaining just how much she is loved. Letter writer: Shakti Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your...

A letter to a daughter who doesn’t exist yet. Lucia has been trying to get pregnant for three years. She tells Namulanta that she was inspired to be “less discreet” about what she’s been going through after listening to a past episode of Dear Daughter – and that since she started talking about it, she’s discovered a whole world of other people going through similar experiences. Plus, the one thing you should never say to someone struggling with infertility. Letter writer: Lucia Please send...

Celebrating how kids change as they grow. Claire thinks that nostalgia for babies and small children shouldn’t stop you from embracing the next stages in their development. She and her wife have twin daughters who were born prematurely. In those early weeks, they found it hard to see the future. Now the twins are seven, Claire is able to celebrate the different stages of their lives. But she’s still learning how best to parent them, and their four-year-old sister, as they continue...

Turning into your mother can be a joy and a trial. When Jacinta in Johannesburg became a parent, she found that her perspective on her own mother changed completely. She reads a letter to her young daughters about what they can learn from older generations after realising “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. Plus, how to avoid telling your children that they’ll only understand things when they get older. Letter writer: Jacinta Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to...

The Scummy Mummies on friendship, bullying and embracing the chaos of parenting. Comedians Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson met when their children were little and started a podcast called the Scummy Mummies. Ten years, a sell-out UK comedy tour and more than 250 episodes later, they join Namulanta to talk about friendship – from getting through the awkward teen years to making friends as an adult. Letter writers: Helen Thorn and Ellie Gibson Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to...

How to give advice people will actually listen to. When Anna in Switzerland was younger, her grandmothers used to give her advice – but she dismissed it. She thought they were old-fashioned and didn’t understand her life. Now she’s a grandmother herself, and when she looks at her granddaughter she can’t imagine what the world she will live in will be like. How can she pass on what she’s learned about life? Anna and Namulanta discuss how to connect across the generational divide. Letter...

The challenges of parenting as a widower. When Ani’s daughter was just two years old, his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Her illness dominated their daughter’s early years, and she died when the child was six. Ani explains how he’s trying to teach his daughter what her mother was like before she became ill. Plus, how a Joe Wicks workout helped the family manage their grief. Letter writer: Ani Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us...

Follow your dreams - but remember your roots! Instead of hearing from a letter writer, Namulanta talks to Alejandra about what it meant to receive letters of advice from her grandmother. Her grandma gave her blessing and guidance on moving abroad for a new life. Letter writer: Alejandra’s grandmother Maria Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

Talking to children about money can be awkward, but it’s important to start young. Davinia Tomlinson has written a book of money advice for girls called Cash Is Queen. She explains how she talks to her own daughters about money and how the skills she learned in the British financial services industry enabled her to plan a new life closer to her Caribbean roots. Plus, Davinia shares some inspirational advice from her own grandmother. Letter writer: Davinia Tomlinson Please send Namulanta...

Why are women expected to endure pain in silence? Meera grew up in India and has battled multiple illnesses for most of her life. They’ve impacted her relationships with her mother, her husband and her kids - especially her young daughter. She says: “As a girl I was taught that a woman’s strength came from her ability to endure great pain and suffering.” But in a letter to her daughter, Meera insists women shouldn’t say “I’m fine” if they’re not. Letter writer: Meera Please send Namulanta...