anyone who with small children who travels abroad for work - how bad is it?

[oranges]

I work from home at the moment with a one year old and it sort of works, but I want to get my career back on track and have been given a great chance, to carry on working flexibly from home. But it will mean I have to go abroad every five weeks or so, mainly for two or three days, but sometimes a week. I have childcare sorted through grandparents and a great nanny, but will it be too disruptive to ds, or will he cope? He's a lovely, sociable, happy baby who manages fine without me.

Do you always bring back presents?

The other thing that worries me is that I always lose money travelling, through not claiming for exchange rates, coffees etc, no matter how careful I am with receipts.

Issy, have emailed you re Chennai and my relatives there!

I went to Glasgow once...

if any of you need a babysitter I'm in Glasgow!!!

glasgow's nice too....

Oranges, sorry not to respond earlier. I returned from the US this morning and am now bouncing off the walls with that jet-lag second-wind.

Yes, I always get the girls presents (unless I'm just going to Europe for a couple of days) as it provides a focus for my return and somehow smoothes 're-entry'. 90% of my trips are to the US and as clothes are laughably cheap there I tend to buy them the clothes I would have bought them anyway. I've never attempted to get them clothes relevant to my destination. This trip's present was a pair of summer pyjamas!

[Off topic: Yes I did get your email MI but didn't respond as the internet connection in the hotel was so flakey my email tripped over every few minutes. I would love to catch up with your relative in Chennai. How cool would that be?!]