Your business travel shouldn’t be a guilt and anxiety trip. Saloni Khare on balancing business travel with kids at home

It's 6:20 am and you’re racing out of your house to catch a cab for the airport. You’ll fly across the country, work like a maniac for three days, then return to your husband and daughter. The following thoughts go through your head:

• Don’t let the plane crash.
• Don’t let my daughter do anything too cute while I’m gone.
• Is my daughter going to like me (even remember me?) when I get back?
• I hope I don’t get teary-eyed in front of the taxi driver.
• I should quit this stupid job and enjoy my child while she’s young.
• I hope my husband remembers to brush our daughter’s teeth the ‘right’ way.
• I hope the hotel has good room service and a big TV.

You spend the next two hours in the plane, emotionally juggling guilt, sadness, relief and acceptance. Well, if you’re new to this business-woman-travelling-mother scene, savvy moms provide the following tips:

Compartmentalise . When you’re with your child, give her 100 per cent of your energy; when you’re on a business trip, put your energy into your work. Obsessing over a child left at home is unproductive. Far better to concentrate on the work, then leave the job behind and focus on the child once you return home.

Demystify your travel. One mom who travels between two offices gave photos of the out-of-town office to her children so they could visualise where Mom was sitting. Keeping a journal for older children — one in which you write about your day — is helpful, too.

Bring a bit of home with you . Carry photos of your child, a painting she recently completed, or even a favourite piece of clothing. Make sure your child knows you’re taking it with you because you love her so much.

Consider taking your child with you. “I once took my then-six-month-old daughter on a business trip and hired a babysitter at the hotel. I attended meetings all day and spent nights and early mornings with my child. It was a tough three days, but at that tender age I wouldn’t consider leaving her at home,’’ says Sharmila Daga, a sales and marketing executive.

Put the trip into perspective. Secure children can weather a few days without Mom. Have good daycare in place (or an extra-hardworking spouse) and your child will enjoy his day while you’re gone and eagerly await your return.

Baby Information
No one knows your baby like you do, so it’s always better to make things easier for the person in charge to step into your shoes.

1 Is there anything they are not allowed to touch or play with?
2 Expected bedtime
3 Bedtime routine
4 Toilet, teeth cleaning? Where is the toothbrush, paste, etc?
5 Stories? How many? What type?
6 Security items, eg, blanket, teddy bear?
7 Lights left on or off?
8 Drinks/food allowed at bedtime?
9 Preferred sleeping position?
10 How to get them to sleep if it proves difficult.

Toileting requirements