Episodes

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20230522[LISTEN NOW]
20230529[LISTEN NOW]
2024030220240303 (WS)Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with Season Two! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

2024030920240310 (WS)Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with Season Two! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

20240330Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

A Public Apology From A Besotted Mother20240427Malini 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 away from the civil war at home?

But Raji responds with a letter of her own.

Letter writers: Malini and Raji

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 you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a Whatsapp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit https://BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter.

Get in touch and let us know what you think on social media - #DearDaughter

And please leave ratings and reviews.

You can read our privacy notice here:

https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZFHNV8v7qgTm1zbKbkwsvR/dear-daughter-privacy-notice

Malini has lots of regrets about her parenting. Her daughter remembers things differently

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Being Superwoman2024030820240309 (WS)
20240310 (WS)
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 deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?. #DearDaughter

Mum guilt and the endless juggle between work and parenthood

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Blending Families20240504Rehman becomes a widower with three children after the sudden death of his wife. Over a year later, he remarries a woman with three children of her own. Now Rehman has three children from his previous marriage and three new stepchildren. Blending the two families together is Rehman's dream. He wants his family to accept this new reality, but it's not all smooth sailing.

Letter writer: Rehman

Namulanta Kombo is creating a 'handbook to life' for her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?

Rehman remarries after his wife dies. How will he make sure his two families get along?

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Rehman remarries after his wife dies suddenly. With three children from his previous marriage, three new stepchildren and a new wife, how will Rehman make sure they all get along?

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Choosing To Be Child Free20240608Yvonne was on a bus on a trip to Europe when she had a realisation. There's more to life than having kids, she thought – I could travel the world.

She made that decision at twenty, and now she's 64 she's never doubted her choice. She tells Namulanta about her relief at missing out on some of the challenges of parenting, why things are harder now her friends are having grandchildren, and how she'd advise other people who are wondering whether to have kids or not.

Letter writer: Yvonne

If you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a WhatsApp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit https://BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter. Get in touch and let us know what you think on social media - #DearDaughter And please leave ratings and reviews. You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZFHNV8v7qgTm1zbKbkwsvR/dear-daughter-privacy-notice

Yvonne in Australia writes a letter to a daughter she never had

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Yvonne had a realisation when she was 20. There's more to life than having kids, she thought – I could travel the world. She's now 64, and has never doubted her choice.

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Diagnosed, By A Stranger, With Ria Lina20240518Comedian Ria Lina finds out she is autistic after an audience member picks up on it at one of her shows. What does being autistic mean for her?

She tells Namulanta that being a woman with autism is like being a chameleon: you wear lots of different masks to suit the occasion, but sometimes all you want to do is go to a quiet dark place and crash.

Ria tells Namulanta all about autism so the next generation can feel more prepared than she did.

Letter writer: Ria Lina

If you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a Whatsapp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit https://BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter.

Get in touch and let us know what you think on social media - #DearDaughter

And please leave ratings and reviews.

You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZFHNV8v7qgTm1zbKbkwsvR/dear-daughter-privacy-notice

(Ria Lina image credit: Arabella Itani)

A conversation with an audience member leads a comedian to discover she is autistic

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Elbows Out With Nadiya Hussain2024030120240302 (WS)
20240303 (WS)
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 having children – and tells the story of the time her husband tried to boil an egg.

Letter writer: Nadiya Hussain

Namulanta Kombo is creating a 'handbook to life' for her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?. #DearDaughter

The Great British Bake Off star on raising teenagers and taking up space

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Nadiya Hussain of the Great British Bake Off on raising teenagers and taking up space.

Generation Gap2023042420240817 (WS)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

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

How to give advice people will actually listen to. #DearDaughter

Growing Up Polygamous20240601Farida grew up with 19 siblings in a polygamous family in Kenya. She's been married five times, and four of those times have been to men who have other wives.

In a letter she writes to her daughter, Farida describes some of the pros of a polygamous relationship, such as growing up with a large extended family and never feeling alone. But along with the pros there are also some cons, such as what it feels like for your husband to take another wife.

Farida tells Namulanta all about the ups and downs of being polygamous, and gives tips on how to have a happy marriage.

Letter writer: Farida

If you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a Whatsapp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit https://BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter.

Get in touch and let us know what you think on social media - #DearDaughter

And please leave ratings and reviews.

You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZFHNV8v7qgTm1zbKbkwsvR/dear-daughter-privacy-notice

Farida tells us the pros and cons of polygamy

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Farida grew up in a polygamous family with 19 siblings. She's been married five times, and four of those times have been to men who have other wives.

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Healing Letters2023030620240803 (WS)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

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

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.

Please send Namulanta your letter. Go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?.

It's Just Hair, With Joy Kendi20240420Joy 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 surprising history of cornrows, and why showering with a bald head is the most liberating feeling on the planet.

Namulanta Kombo is creating a 'handbook to life' for her daughter, with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?.

Joy doesn't want her hair to define her - so she shaves her head

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Joy Kendi doesn't want her hair to define her – so she shaves her head. The Kenyan influencer joins Namulanta in the studio to talk all things black hair.

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Making Amends2024031620240317 (WS)Musikari risks his life fighting corruption in Kenya, but at what cost to his family?

Namulanta's father is a political, an anti-corruption campaigner and a successful businessman. He's busy, so he's not around much for his children. They miss him. They don't understand.

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 'handbook to life' for her daughter, with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?.

#DearDaughter

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Family values and time spent - Namulanta gets a letter from her dad.

Making Amends2024031620240317 (WS)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 'handbook to life' for her daughter, with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?.

#DearDaughter

Namulanta gets a letter from her dad

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Family values and time spent - Namulanta gets a letter from her dad.

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with Season Two! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Moving On20240413Mary 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, neighbours and starting a new life at 40 – what happens when you no longer feel welcome in your home town?

Letter writer: Mary

Namulanta Kombo is creating a 'handbook to life' for her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Race, neighbours and starting a new life at 40 - Mary tells Namulanta why she moved her Asian-American family to the other side of the country after receiving a menacing message.

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

My Daughter, Who I Thought Was My Son20240511Gretchen's daughter is transgender. When she first told her parents, it came as a shock – but Gretchen wants to tell her daughter she'll always be on her side.

But she worries that the outside world might be hostile. How can she protect her daughter, while also helping her grow?

Letter writer: Gretchen

Namulanta Kombo is creating a 'handbook to life' for her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?. #DearDaughter

Get in touch and let us know what you think on social media - #DearDaughter

And please leave ratings and reviews.

Gretchen's daughter is transgender. How can she protect her, while helping her grow?

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

The Dating To-do List20240406Dating is nerve-racking for anyone, let alone a teenage girl who is thinking about it for the first time. Wen in Hong Kong tells Namulanta about the dating advice she wants to give her daughter – hug every day, dress in a way that pleases you and fart whenever and wherever.

But at the same time, she feels a bit like Grandma telling Little Red Riding Hood about the wolf; she wants her to meet good people, but be aware that there's danger out there too.

Also, why it's important go to your mum for advice about sex if you can – there's only so much you can learn from the biology section of the library.

Letter writer: Wen

Namulanta Kombo is creating a 'handbook to life' for her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?

#DearDaughter

What advice would you give a teenage daughter who's thinking about dating?

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Hug every day, dress in a way that pleases you and fart whenever and wherever – advice for a teenage daughter thinking about dating.

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

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.

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

The Little Girl With Trauma20240525Regina had a difficult childhood. Her parents both struggled with addiction, and she developed substance abuse problems of her own. She thought she'd never know how to be a mother. But now she's using her experiences to help other children heal – trying to be the person that she needed when she was a child.

She tells Namulanta about the joy she finds in parenting her two daughters, the many women who have mothered her, and the training programme she's developed in Zimbabwe to help communities support traumatised children.

Letter writer: Regina

If you are a mum or mom, dad or papa, grandparent, uncle, aunt, daughter, son or just want to write a letter, send us a Whatsapp message on +44 800 030 4404 or visit https://BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter.

Get in touch and let us know what you think on social media - #DearDaughter

And please leave ratings and reviews.

You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.BBC.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ZFHNV8v7qgTm1zbKbkwsvR/dear-daughter-privacy-notice

Regina had a difficult childhood - will she know how to be a mother?

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Regina had a difficult childhood – will she know how to be a mother?

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

The People-making Business With Janine Harouni20240330New 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 Harouni

Namulanta Kombo is creating a 'handbook to life' for her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?. #DearDaughter

(Janine Harouni image credit: Matt Stronge)

New mum Janine is anxious and lonely, so why do the other mums online look so happy?

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Janine Harouni on what nobody tells you about pregnancy and motherhood. She was doing stand-up comedy at 40 weeks pregnant; now the baby's here, there's a new set of challenges.

Comedian Janine Harouni was performing standup at 40 weeks pregnant, but now the baby's here, there's a whole new set of challenges.

She tells Namulanta why it's so important to talk about the gross and difficult parts of pregnancy and newborn parenting – and the surprise family DNA test which changed her perspective on motherhood.

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

The Perfect Trap2024032320240324 (WS)Body image and unattainable beauty standards – Anna spent half her life dealing with an eating disorder until she was finally diagnosed and treated. Now that she is working on getting better, she is able to appreciate the joys in life again, and has regained the spark she felt she had 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 her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?. #DearDaughter

Body image and unattainable beauty standards - Anna shares her eating disorder story

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Body image and unattainable beauty standards - Anna shares her eating disorder story.

Namulanta Kombo returns with a third season of stories and advice for daughters everywhere

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Back with Season Two! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

The Perfect Trap2024032320240324 (WS)Body image and unattainable beauty standards – Anna spent half her life dealing with an eating disorder until she was finally diagnosed and treated. Now that she is working on getting better, she is able to appreciate the joys in life again, and has regained the spark she felt she had 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 her daughter with letters of advice and stories to help her navigate her life ahead. If you've got something you'd like to share with your daughter or daughters everywhere, please send Namulanta your letter: email us at deardaughter@BBC.co.uk, send us a Whatsapp on +44 800 030 4404, or go to www.BBCworldservice.com/deardaughter and click on “Send us your letters ?. #DearDaughter

Body image and unattainable beauty standards - Anna shares her eating disorder story

Back with season three! Your letters to your daughters. What do you want them to know?

Body image and unattainable beauty standards - Anna shares her eating disorder story.

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.

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

Trying to conceive20230522

[LISTEN NOW]

Trying To Conceive2023052220241012 (WS)

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.

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

A letter to a daughter who doesn't exist yet. #DearDaughter

[LISTEN NOW]

Without Mum2023041720240810 (WS)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

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

The challenges of parenting as a widower. #DearDaughter

You are wanted20230529

[LISTEN NOW]

You Are Wanted2023052920241019 (WS)

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

Building a handbook to life' with parenting advice, stories and letters for daughters

It's a girl! Bucking the trend of wanting a son. #DearDaughter

[LISTEN NOW]