A plush five-star hotel suite is no consolation for a lonely heart. This I know.

Dr. Wendy Walsh: I recently had to spend five long days on a business trip away from my two daughters. It was the longest time I had ever spent away from them. But that opulent hotel room, more suited for a romantic duo than a mom-on-the-loose, gave me the space to examine separation anxiety: my own and my kids'.

Time takes a different shape when we are separated from our primary attachment figures. It oozes like cold molasses instead of flowing like running water. Our age affects separation anxiety. Perceptions of time are related to the amount of time we have been on the planet. It is a cruel ratio between time lived and time left. The more years we log in our memory banks, the quicker time flies. So, a small child feels a week of mommy separation as something closer to a month. And our own precious child-free school hours fly by in a nano-minute.

That time perception is an important thing to consider when we leave our children for more than a few hours. They do not experience the same sense of time. Small children need consistent face-to-face, hand-holding contact with a primary attachment figure. Separations can be very disturbing. Phone calls and texts are poor substitutes for the smell of Mommy's body. As children get older, they are able to hold a picture of Mommy for longer in their minds, and eventually become convinced that Mommy always comes back. But anyone who has experienced the water works at the door to a first-grade classroom knows that sometimes older kids feel scared about leaving a primary attachment figure too.

So, in the busy world of competing loyalties between work and parenting, how do we minimize the attachment injuries that can happen when Mommy goes AWOL? Here are a few tips:

1. Prepare your child (and yourself). If your child is under the age of six, create a picture and storybook about your trip. Take photos of you leaving and arriving and your child playing with their caregivers. Paste it in a book, and in simple language, tell the story of your separation. "The first day, Mommy says goodbye. The second day, Junior and Nanny will play toys. Daddy will come home at dinner ..." Etc. Tell the whole story from your child's perspective and include your arrival home. Have the caregiver read this book every day to your child so they can relocate themselves to day and time as they wait for Mommy.

2. Telephone as often as you can. Babies and toddlers may be confused by hearing Mommy's voice and not seeing her, but for some kids, voice contact is a comfort. Don't be hurt if your child refuses to talk to you on the phone. Some children protect themselves from the pain of separation by distracting themselves. A phone call from Mommy can instantly jar the feelings of loss.

3. If your child is older, e-mails and texts can help you stay in touch. I try to write on my 11-year-old's Facebook wall every day.

4. One other wonderful mommy reminder is to leave a small gift -- like a book or a tiny toy -- and a note for each day of your trip. These small rewards and words of love and support can help sustain your child.

5. When you leave your child and talk to them from afar, don't focus on your own distress, but rather the reunion. So, instead of saying "Mommy misses you," say, "Mommy always comes back. I'm so excited to see you after two more sleeps."

6. Upon your return, schedule quality re-bonding time. This should be some daily one-on-one time with no distractions or interruptions. Don't be surprised if your child is dismissive or angry after a separation. Just do the repair work to build a loving trust again.

As for Mommy's own separation anxiety ... well, that hotel room and I made a deal. It nurtured me and I tried my best not to become a raving lunatic. But no amount of hot baths, meditating by candlelight, movies-on-demand, or five-star room service could remove the pit in my stomach. I felt like I was missing a leg. In the end, I consoled myself with the fact that separation anxiety is often a sign of a healthy attachment. It's nature's way of telling us that something is off. And strong attachments are the building blocks of healthy personalities. Armed with this information, I felt like one extremely healthy mommy when I snuck in their rooms after a late-night flight home and breathed in the delicious smells of their little sweaty curls. Home at last.

Dr. Wendy Walsh holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and her area of interest is Attachment Theory, a psychological, evolutionary and ethological theory that provides a descriptive and explanatory framework for understanding interpersonal relationships between human beings. As a psychological assistant registered with the California Board of Psychology, Dr. Walsh has treated individuals, couples and families for a variety of mental health concerns including personality disorders, anger management, eating and substance disorders, and depression. Connect with Dr. Walsh on Facebook.