Keep a Check

To make sure your kids are safe at home, get a trusted neighbour to meet them at least once a day.

If you don't have neighbours that you are close to, have a relative drop by, or make a phone call few times a day.

It's School Time!

When you are at home, your sleeping angels wake up at 7:30am, but when you are away, how can you ensure that they wake up on time?

Set the alarms at home before you leave. This way it will ring just on time. If possible, try and call your children on the landline or cell phone to make sure they are really awake.

Any Time Money

Whether your kids are responsible with money or not, you still need to leave a good amount at home for emergencies.

You can inform your kids on how much you are leaving behind and that they have the freedom to use it when needed.

To make sure they don't spend it irresponsibly, make sure you ask them to keep an account of how much money they spend on what.

If you are leaving at the start or end of the month, inform your milkman, dry cleaner, newspaper-man and cable guy that you will pay them at a later date.

Emergency Numbers

Make a list of important numbers your kids can contact in case they need anything. This is what your list needs to include:

• Your cell phone and the hotel number where you will be staying
• The number of a close colleague who is travelling with you
• Local ambulance number
• Fire Department number
• Police number
• A few relatives' numbers
• Your neighbour's landline/cell number
• The number of a family friend who lives nearby
• Restaurant numbers for ordering food
• The local grocery shop number

Make copies of this list to keep in every room of the house or near every phone. If your kids have cell phones, tell them to store the numbers.