Emergency! Make sure your child knows what to do when things go wrong.

My oldest son has been away at school for less than six months, and we've already had to deal with a couple situations that we probably should have been better prepared for.

The first was a medical emergency. My son had to go to the ER, but he wasn't really sure how to go about it. In the end what he did was ask a friend to drive him, and she took him to the only hospital she knew about, which was further away than necessary. It didn't provide such great care once he got there, either.

The second was an incident in which he was the victim of a crime on campus. A night spent waiting in the campus security office and the local police department, tired and frustrated.

These things happen, much more often than we realize. It's best to make sure your child is prepared and knows what steps to take.

Take some time to review what to do in a medical emergency. Where is the health office, and what are the hours? What kind of emergency care is available? Is it better to just call 911? Have your kid call the school and get the facts. Also, by federal law parents aren't allowed to be informed about health issues. I don't agree with the law, but that's besides the point. Before your child heads off to school, have him or her sign a statement giving the school permission to notify you during a health emergency. Even in the case of minor children, this has to be in writing. Make sure a signed copy goes to the school health office. Check with the school for the exact legal requirements.

If your kid balks at all this, and you're paying the bills, remind him or her of this fact.

In the case of a crime, make sure your child knows how important it is to cooperate with campus security and the police. Avoid the temptation to protect friends or the tendency to not want to get involved. Tell him or her to call you or a trusted adult for help and advice as soon as possible, especially if he or she is being accused.

In the end, everything worked out fine for my son, but a lot of confusion and questions could have been avoided if we'd taken the time to review some simple procedures before he headed off in the fall.