names of your medications in case you need to buy more overseas is also a good idea.

Pre-trip Pediatrician Check-up. Before you leave, it doesn't hurt to make sure your child is perfectly healthy and has all their required immunizations (www.cdc.gov/travel/vaccinat.htm). Some countries may require International Certificates of Vaccination - especially if they are infected with yellow fever. If you or your child has a medical condition, you may want to bring your pediatrician's phone numbers and any documentation needed to treat it.

Sun Precautions. The second most avoidable child ailment, right after sore, feet is sunburn. If you are going somewhere where there is a lot of sun, pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Although the hat may seem a bit extreme, we used it as a kid and adult finder. I've found few people wear hats in airports. When I wanted to know where my daughter was, I just had to look for the bright red hat.

Electricity. If you have anything you need to use like an electric shaver or hair dryer, you want electrical converter. Also, it's also nice to have a battery-powered flashlight to find your way around unfamiliar dark hotel rooms so you don't wake up your exhausted child.

Emergency travel card. Although you never intend to be separated, it is essential to have an emergency travel card on both you and your child at all times. On our card, we included a picture of us together, our date of birth, height and weight, hair and eye color, our U.S. phone number, and the contact information from that pesky itinerary I asked you to make earlier. I made sure my daughter's card was safety pinned to the inside of her coat before we left to go anywhere.

Communication

1. Telephone. Although it would probably be nice to have an international cell phone - I don't think so. We went with prepaid international telephone cards. If you need to make a call can't find a pay phone outdoors, try a hotel lobby.
   
2. Photography. Even if you are on a business trip with your child, remembering the parent-child event with pictures is a must. If you don't want to risk your regular camera, why not get a couple disposable cameras. I took an inexpensive digital camera.
   
3. Memory Book. Back to the itinerary again. My daughter and I used our itinerary and trip research to make a memory note book with a blank page for each major event - as kind of a pre-trip-diary. She drew pictures with her pencils and crayons and wrote descriptions of things that interested her. Using pictures from my digital camera, we combined our efforts and made trip memory album after we returned home. Mom loved it.
   
4. Postcards. Your grade school or older child can make big points with the family and friends without spending a lot by sending postcards. First, buy them as soon as you get to your destination. But, who can remember all those addresses. The answer: pre-written postcard labels. Any small address label will do. The next big problem is getting your child to sit down and write them.

The Quintessential Activity Bag

Imagine missing your direct flight from the states due to weather and being re-routed through two additional countries (with layovers) to get to your destination. My daughter and I spent 12 more hours traveling than we planned. The quintessential carry-on activity bag can turn those 12 hours from record pain to an enjoyable experience. I used my backpack so I could have two free hands to get tickets, snacks, and my wallet.

1. Games. Our big favorite was travel magnetic chess/checkers. You know your child best, but why not use the newfound quality time with your child to teach them some new games. Cards anyone?
   
2. Coloring. Give my daughter a blank piece of paper and some crayons and in 20 minutes she'll have the next kid fashion craze designed. Have a less eccentric kid? Bring a fun coloring book.
   
3. Healthy Snacks. The most frustrating part of our trip was hunting for healthy food on the run. Save yourself a few gray hairs before you leave, and take your child shopping for non-perishable healthy snacks that they are willing to eat. Eating junk food won't help your stamina. My daughter liked trail mix, organic chocolate milk and raisins. The CDC recommends packing starches, cereals, yogurt, fruits, and vegetables and avoiding foods that are high in simple sugars, such as soft drinks, undiluted apple juice, gelatins, and pre-sweetened cereals.
   
4. Good Book. This is for you while your child crashes halfway through your trip. The lighter the better. I didn't want to have to worry about combing through the prolific airport magazine stores.
   
5. Special Toy. Finally, you should include a favorite toy or blanket to help your child have a little piece of home in the unfamiliar international environment during the trip.
   
6. Change of clothes. Imaging your child spilling their milk all over themselves halfway across the Atlantic. Then imagine smelling it a couple hours later. . . Exactly. Having a change of clothes in a zip-lock plastic bag is a piece of mind any parent should have on any really long trip.

That's it. After you take care of your travel prep, personal effects, safety, communication, and the quintessential activity bag you should be ready for most of the international child travel hiccups and focus on making the most memorable overseas parent-child event ever. Happy traveling!