Working at home is convenient and flexible and can be less s…

Working at home is convenient and flexible and can be less stressful than daily commuting. It can benefit employers (who need less space), employees (who save on clothing and transportation), and entrepreneurs (who save on office expenses). However, it is not for everyone: it requires enough initiative, independence, and self-confidence to work without supervision. Some home workers feel isolated or have trouble concentrating in the presence of such distractions as television, the refrigerator, and young children. Also, employees who work at home may lose fringe benefits, such as insurance, and the protection of laws guaranteeing fair labor and working conditions.  

Before they can say any words, babies communicate by making…

Before they can say any words, babies communicate by making a variety of sounds. They start by crying. Then they progress to cooing when they are happy, squealing, gurgling, and making long oohs and aahs. At about six months they babble, repeating syllables such as “buh” and “muh.” Next, they start to imitate sounds they hear, even though they don’t seem to understand these sounds. At the next stage, they string such sounds together in a way that is almost speech-like. At about age 1, they say their first meaningful word—usually “mama” or “dada.” Soon they use many words, and at about eighteen months they  begin to make combinations of words, forming simple sentences.