VICTORIA -- Brittany starts opening a container of soapy water, as her young son gleefully proclaims, “Bubbles!”

‘Bubbles’ is Oliver’s first – and only – word. But his mom says her boy’s first love is ‘doo-doo.’

And for those of you who aren’t fluent in 15-month-old, ‘doo doo’ is the sound that Oliver makes for skateboard.

“Every morning when he wakes up he usually grabs his helmet and his skateboard and brings it to me in bed,” Brittany smiles. “That’s how he wakes up. He goes, ‘Doo-doo! Doo-doo!’

Brittany shows me video of Oliver skateboarding when he was just 12 months old. She holds his hand while he stands on the board and happily cruises down the sidewalk.

While his skating skills may be unusual, the way the toddler expresses frustration is not.

“Squealing!” Brittany laughs. “It can be quite annoying at times.”

If you can’t understand how to meet your child’s needs, says another mom, Layla, your feelings can become more complex.

“It felt actually very depressing some days,” Layla says. “Not knowing why the baby was crying and won’t stop crying.”

Layla learned baby sign language to help communicate with her girls.

“It does give you a view into their world before they communicate with words,” Layla smiles.

It worked so well, Layla became a certified sign instructor, starting ‘Baby Signs with Layla.’

Although she has a full-time job, Layla has been spending the pandemic offering more than a dozen online classes to single moms for free. 

“I’ve been a single mom. I understand what it’s like,” Layla explains. “I don’t have a lot of money to give, but I do have this skill that people seem to really enjoy.”

Layla shows me video of a couple of her most recent classes, including one with Brittany and Oliver. They are filled with smiles and signs. At one point Layla is wearing a bear costume to teach. Oliver is beaming.

Brittany says that Oliver is communicating through sign language after a few lessons. The other day, he was in the middle of skateboarding and stopped to tap his hip with his hand. He was using the sign for diaper to let his mom know he needed to be changed. 

“He definitely lets me know,” Brittany starts explaining before noticing that Oliver is putting the tips of his fingers together. “That’s [the sign for] ‘more.’”

She asks Oliver if he wants more carrots. When she offers, he declines. 

Seeing as we had just been talking about skateboarding, she asks if he wants more of that. He indicates yes. 

Brittany puts him on his little board, and Oliver starts skating unassisted down the hall.

Oliver’s needs were met without squealing. Brittany says she couldn’t be more grateful for Layla’s kindness in teaching her baby-signing. 

Layla is happy for the opportunity to make a positive contribution during this difficult time. “I just hope I’m bringing a little joy,” Layla smiles.

And Oliver, he couldn’t be happier right now. What could be better than ‘more’ boarding followed by ‘more’ bubbles.