Create or update your Temporary Guardian of Minor Children.  This legal document allows individuals to temporarily care for your child when you are on vacation or in an emergency. This document is only effective for six months so you must continually re-execute it.

Make sure you have emergency contacts listed at your child’s school. Place these numbers, and also your child’s doctor, in your wallet and on your refrigerator instead of just in your phone. What if you (like me) become so freaked when you get a call from the school nurse that your son split his chin open and needs stitches that you completely blank on the doctor’s name to call them? 

If your child has not yet memorized her address and important phone numbers, tuck this into her backpack and show her where it is.

Encourage (and maybe pay for) your college student to create their own Financial and Health Care Powers of Attorney. This will ensure you or someone else can help your child in an emergency.

Are you still on your child’s car title or bank account? Consider removing yourself for liability purposes. If you are on the car title with your son and he gets in a car accident, you are likely to get sued. And likewise, if you are a joint owner of your daughter’s bank account, her account is susceptible to your creditor issues. 

If you are paying for college and want to ensure a return on your investment, ask your child to fill out a FERPA waiver granting you access to their grades. 

Also ask your child to execute a HIPAA authorization granting you access to their medical information.