FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Plenty of kids will be making a splash this summer whether it's at a public pool or in a back yard. Some kids are more comfortable in the water than others. No matter the level of the swimmer, it's important to always be watching.
Sometimes parents don't think to put their kids in swim lessons until they're 3 or 4 years old. The Swim Ranch offers swim lessons starting at 6 months old.
Kim Brinson and Susan Gabbard's parents started the Swim Ranch in 1975. The goal isn't just to teach kids to swim, but also give parents the resources they need to keep their family safe at the pool.
Brinson said a couple of lessons won't make a child into a swimmer. She said it's important to practice swimming and be blunt with the kids.
"You're going to get splashed," Brinson said. "You're going to get a face full of water."
The first opportunity to familiarize a child with water is in the bath tub. Brinson suggests dribbling water on their head during bath time and letting it drip onto the baby's face without wiping it away with a towel. She said they might not like it, but it will help them adjust and become comfortable with water.
Kids count on their parents to be there if something goes wrong. Brinson recommends staying off social media and straying from any distractions while at the pool, because a tragedy can happen in a heartbeat.
"Drowning is not like you see on TV," Brinson said. "It's not a bunch of screaming and yelling, it's typically silent."
Brinson said when someone is drowning they might not move and it could be hard to realize they're having trouble.
The Swim Ranch recommends no one swims alone, not even adults.
For a closer look at the Swim Ranch and it's swim lessons, click here.