Your boss just called: "The clients want a face-to-face, so we're leaving for Seattle on Wednesday." It's the first time you'll be away from your child for more than a night, so get ready for some tears from him—and you. How to explain that Mommy's going to be gone for a bit?There are two big ideas preschoolers must begin to grasp: the movement of time and the abstract concept that Mommy will come home again, says Martha Farrell Erickson, PhD, director of the Harris Programs at the Center for Early Education and Development at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Prepare your preschooler a few days ahead of time by showing him on a calendar the days you'll be gone and when you'll return. "Tell him he can mark an X as the days go by, so he'll see when you're away and when you get back," suggests Dr. Erickson. "This will give him a sense of security because he'll know what to anticipate."Then talk about how much you'll miss him and describe your reunion in detail: "You'll meet Mommy at the airport, and I'll hug you and kiss you a million times and bring you a surprise." This reassures your child how much you look forward to being with him again, suggests Vivian Friedman, PhD, a professor in the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Nix the idea of a big-ticket present to assuage your guilt and opt for simple, kid-pleasing items like meeting giveaways or little souvenirs of the city.Before you head out, do a few things to cement your child's usual routine—another way to make him feel secure. Remind your spouse or caregiver how his day should run, including little things like eating breakfast in his pj's or having Goodnight Moon read to him at bedtime. "Morning and evening routines happen when kids are tired, vulnerable and prone to missing Mommy," says Dr. Erickson. "So keeping them is comforting." As you walk out the door, try to be upbeat (even if you're upset) as you reassure your child with concrete details of your trip and return: that you'll get on an airplane, sleep in a hotel two nights, then come home on an airplane. And while on the road, do your best to call or check in at the same times every day. When you return home, drop your bags and hang out with your kid for a half hour—time he needs to reconnect with you. After all, often the best part about travel is coming home.

Work Trip Tips

• Picture it. Give your child a framed picture of the two of you to keep by his bed and show him you're taking one with you as well. When you call at night, look at the picture together.
• Send a fax. While away, draw a cute picture of you and your child and fax it to him. Then he can draw a picture and fax it back to you.
• Talk it up. When you're back, tell your child something you accomplished: You helped a lot of people be healthier with your product. You'll show him that business travel is a positive thing.