Strangely enough, you will find that transporting your family can be quite difficult when you"re going a long distance. With out a doubt, a long distance move will require much forethought and planning. The following things might make the trip a little less difficult.
If you have the room in your vehicle, pack each individual person their very own bag or suitcase. For each anticipated travel day, plus one, pack a complete change of clothes (including socks and underwear). If any of your children sleep with a teddy bear, you should pack that in their tote to avoid any drama at bedtime. Capture the dirty clothes by tossing in some garbage bags with draw strings.
Refill any needed prescription medications and put together a first aid kit (including band-aids, antibiotic ointment, pain-killers, and antacids) shortly before the big day. If any of your family members suffer from allergies, remember to bring their Benedryl and EpiPen, if prescribed. Keep them at hand in the car in case of emergencies.
Pay a visit to the dollar store. Purchase any essentials you will need, like a multi-pack of toothbrushes, toothpaste, body lotion, shampoo, toilet tissue, paper towels, tissue packages, plastic dinnerware, paper plates, and, of course, lots of spare batteries for the Nintendo DS. Tie a knot in the sacks and throw them into one of the bags that you will be taking with you on the road.
Families today usually have two vehicles so you may find yourself driving separately. Think about purchasing some good walkie-talkies for the journey. Even if you both have cell phone, there are usually "dead spots" along any trip route, and these are frequently on the lesser traveled roads. Additionally, by saving money on your cell phone roaming charges, you can free up extra funds to pay for the walkie-talkies. They"re great because you can be in instant contact with the other driver should any "emergency" occur. A good idea, for older kids that are allowed some freedom, is purchasing an extra set of walkie-talkies in order to stay in direct communication with them. Instruct your children, in the event of danger, to push the button and call for help. Prior to the trip, they might even have fun with practice drills.
Create a list of the things you need to do daily while traveling. Remember, extended road trips can be exhausting and can cause a person to forget some details. Include in your list things like taking medicine and recharging the cell phones and walkie-talkies. Beside each task draw a line so you can check off when that task has been completed. As it usually happens, the rechargeable batteries in communications equipment will run out of power the next day if you do not recharge them during the night. You may also want to make a copy of this list for every day, and put them in a three ring binder along with printouts of Mapquest directions and telephone numbers of important contacts (e.g., the moving company or hotels).
Obviously, you"ll want to bring snack foods. Plan on bringing protein bars, fruit, and bottled water instead of junk food, such as candy and soft drinks. In other words, choose foods that won"t produce the dreaded "sugar high" in your kids.