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“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 letters”. #DearDaughter

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 Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter Audio for this episode was updated on 22 May 2023.

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 growing. Letter writer: Claire Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

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 www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

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 www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

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 writer: Anna Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

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 your letters”. #DearDaughter

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 your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

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 your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

The generosity of others helped Monique rebuild her life. She’s gone through more trauma than most, having fled genocide in Rwanda, lived in refugee camps and lost everything in a fire in the US. And yet at every stage she’s had the help of strangers. Letter writer: Monique Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter Audio for this episode was updated on 22nd March 2023.

You don’t need to give me a grandchild. Simone promises having children will be up to her daughter. She says in her letter: “Make your own decision.” Simone is from Mozambique and tells Namulanta that society puts a lot of pressure on women to have a baby. Letter writer: Simone Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

The 'Queen of Letters', Isabel Allende, on writing, processing grief and a full garage. The best-selling author wrote to her late daughter, Paula, when she was in a coma. She then turned the letters into a book. She says writing “allowed me to understand what had happened and deal with it”. Isabel has a garage full of her daily correspondence with her own mother. Her novels include The House of the Spirits, City of the Beasts and Eva Luna. Letter writer: Isabel Allende Isabel is reading an extract from her book Paula. Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

Marian’s dad left when she was little. Now, she’s giving her daughter “the most special gift”. She looks at her husband and daughter playing together and it means so much to her. That is the inspiration for her letter. Season two of Dear Daughter begins with a story of two fathers and two daughters, which starts during the collapse of the Soviet Union. Letter writer: Marian Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”. #DearDaughter

We’re back! Join us weekly from 27 February for the second season of Dear Daughter, winner of Podcast of the Year at the 2022 British Podcast Awards. Namulanta Kombo is collecting more of your letters – funny, moving, thoughtful advice and words of wisdom for daughters everywhere. Namulanta started by writing letters to her own daughter Koko, then asked her friends and family to write to Koko too. Then she won the BBC’s first International Podcast Competition, and started collecting letters of advice from all over the world. In season 2 we’ll hear letter writers from Moldova to Mozambique talking about love, families, grief, money, friendship - we’re creating a handbook to life. But we need your letters! Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter to find out more. #DearDaughter

Teenage conflict, pushing boundaries and the unexpected letter. “You won't understand why I seem to like being mean.” Angie writes to her daughter Kira about being the bad cop and not trying to win the nicest mummy competition. Episode 15 letter writer: Angie This is the final episode of the first season of #DearDaughter We hope you have been inspired to write your own letters. Please send them to us and we might be able to include them in future episodes. Go to bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters”.

Raquel left her children to work abroad, so she could give them a better life. “I still remember the pain.” Her daughter Alyssa shares her feelings about their years apart. Episode 14 letter writer: Raquel Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to bbcworldservice/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”. #DearDaughter

“Nothing is off limits.” Daisy on how she will talk to her daughter about sex: smashing taboos and overcoming old-fashioned attitudes. Episode 13 letter writer: Daisy Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”. #DearDaughter

Deborah writes letters to her daughter Sibby, who was stillborn at 40 weeks. “We were delighted to meet her, even though my heart was broken into a million pieces”. Please be aware that this episode discusses baby loss. If you have been affected by the issues in this episode, there are support charities in many countries or it may help to speak to a medical professional or someone you trust. Episode 12 letter writer: Deborah Send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.bbcworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letter”. #DearDaughter