More About: Sylvie Dumaine

Beginning in 1998, I performed nightly in Cirque du Soleil's premiere water show for 18 years. I have been a synchronized swimmer since the age of 7, and have competed and coached internationally. I graduated from the University of Montreal with a B.S. in Physical Education for children, where I taught water activities to children with special needs.

I am now the mother of 2 beautiful girls. My love for water has transitioned from the stage to teaching the ISR technique to infants and children.

I have been a Certified ISR Instructor for 11 years, teaching over 800 children. I am excited to expose youngsters to the ISR Self-Rescue technique, and I am committed to ISR's mission of "Not One More Child Drowns."

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FAQs
Are swimming lessons for infants and young children safe?
I can’t speak for all swim lessons, but I can tell you ISR is dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child's health and well-being are our highest priority and are closely monitored on a daily basis. In addition, your child's medical and developmental history is a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process, all of which is held strictly confidential. All ISR instructors undergo intensive and rigorous training that far exceeds any other training program of this kind. Each ISR instructor is also required to recertify yearly with emphasis on quality control, safety and lesson efficiency. Your education in the area of aquatic safety for your entire family is an integral part of your child's lessons. You will receive access to the "Parent Resource Guide" to inform you about every aspect of swimming and aquatic safety for infants and children. With research, you will find that ISR is not only the safest survival swimming program but also the most effective for teaching infants and young children.
How is it that babies can learn to respond to the danger of water when they fall in?
A baby does not need to perceive danger or be afraid to respond appropriately to being underwater. If a baby has learned to roll over and float when he needs air, he doesn't need to perceive danger in order to respond in this manner. He needs skill, practice and confidence to calmly deal with the situation.
Why don’t parents participate in the water during the lessons?
We do not want the baby to initially associate the water with the love, attention, and affection of the parent while in the water. Also, it takes incredible concentration and objectivity to teach the baby how to respond to an aquatic emergency and our experience shows that parents often find it too difficult to be objective to be effective teachers with their own children in the water. We gladly invite parents to join us in the pool once their child has independent skills to practice at home.
Do you have children that just can’t learn the skills?
No. Every child can learn. It is my job to find the best way to communicate the information so that it makes sense to the child. I set your child up to be successful every time you bring them to me. I start where they are and through consistent lessons, we see progress.

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