Having kids is such a joy. They fill their parents' lives with love and laughter, and from the day they enter this world, families are formed and lifelong memories are made. As all parents experience, there are so many milestones that children will reach throughout their lives. Some of those are wonderful celebrations and marks of achievement, and most of them are not without an expense attached to them. From birthdays to school events, graduations, academic excellence, and more- there's so much to celebrate throughout their lives.

Another huge milestone for your child will be when they're old enough to drive. I recently had someone ask me if my husband and I were saving for our son's first car yet? He's eight years old and it's unreal to think that in just another eight years, he'll be old enough to drive! We're embarking on the process of purchasing a new family car, which means that we'll be able to store and save our sporty sedan for our oldest. Since we still have a few years to go before he can drive, we need to properly preserve the car so that it runs well and remains in a good and safe condition when he finally gets the chance to sit behind the wheel.

Check out these tips for preserving a car for your future driver:

Store your car properly

The easiest and most obvious way to protect your car is to store it- but you can't just store it anywhere or any old way. If you have access to a garage or car storage from Auto Vault, you should store in a well-ventilated garage, out of the sun, and away from natural elements. Cover the car with a good quality car cover to keep dust and dirt from damaging the exterior. If you can't store the car in a garage, you can still protect it by parking it under a carport, or even covering it with a car cover if it has to be parked outside.

Remove the battery

Have you ever noticed how car batteries deteriorate and build up gunk over time? Just imagine how hard that gunk would be to clean off after years of not using the vehicle. If you honestly don't plan on driving the car every once in a while, go ahead and remove the car battery. Be sure to clean the terminals and keep them oiled to prevent any grime from building up and causing the area to rust over. You can easily install a new battery when you're ready to use the car on a regular basis again.

Keep gas in the car

Don't store the car with an empty tank of gas. Over time, rusting can occur if the car is stored with little to no gas. This can cause damage to the car's fuel tank and lead to other problems in the future. Check the gas tank levels over time and refill as necessary. Be sure to properly close/seal the gas tank while the vehicle is being stored.

Clean the interior

Even if you're not technically driving/using the car and dragging dirt into its interior on a regular basis, you still need to regularly clean the inside of the car. Dust will naturally build up over time, and if you don't vacuum and dust off your dash, you'll be left with a really gross and sticky mess of dirt and dust that will be hard to clean off and decrease the value of the car if it leads to cracking.

Drive it every so often

A good way to make sure the car is running properly and is safe to pass on to someone else in the future is to drive it. Bring the car out of storage a few times a year, and take it for a drive. This will clue you in on any problems the vehicle may be having, and let you know what you might need to have looked at before passing the car on to your child.

It can be such a neat thing to pass a family car onto a new driver- for both parents and child. Properly taking care of said car will keep your child safe and keep the occasion a very happy one!

Brought to you by Ted Britt Chevrolet.