I’m delighted to have this opportunity to read an extract from Dear You: A Letter to my Unborn Children for World Childless Week 2018.

I felt the need to write this letter to my unborn children… this very long letter, because I think that many of us who find ourselves childless not by choice regret that we have no heirs to bequeath family traditions to, no kids to pass on little nuggets of advice to, to share stories and anecdotes with.

I have a very clear picture of the sort of mother I would have liked to have been had I been lucky enough to have kids and I hoped to reveal that in Dear You.

Thank you to everyone who entered the competition for a copy of my book and answered the question:

I have written in Dear You of the anecdotes, family rituals and little nuggets of advice I would have passed on to my children had they arrived. Things like how to make tasty lump free gravy, a unique way to stop an insect bite from itching, buying knickers a couple of sizes up and using a dental stick to separate eye lashes clogged with mascara … what anecdote, family tradition or quirky tip would you like to have passed down to your children?

I’d like the free book to go to Jo G from New Zealand for the simple reason it made me laugh! Also testing washing on the line for dryness against your face is something I do & whilst I don’t remember being told the reasons for it I must have observed my own mother doing same.

When checking to see if clothes are still wet, or just cold, after being outside on the clothesline, hold them against your face. My husband had never seen this done before, and thought my mum was sniffing his boxer shorts, when she did it.

Tessa Broad