The New Family Addition | Balancing Work & Family | Writing Forum

Not only is this my first week back to work post-wedding, but it's also my first work week with the latest addition to our family -- our new lab / collie puppy named Aggie. (Sidenote: Being a mystery buff and given her dark mysterious look, I named her after Agatha Christie.) 

Any new family addition can be hard on the professional working from home. And a puppy is no exception. She's remarkably well-behaved, but she still has those crazy puppy moments where everything in sight is meant for chewing. I'm lucky that I have a few days of transition with my husband being home. He's keeping an eye on her most of the time that I work. But he goes back to work himself tomorrow. And that's when the real "fun" will begin. 

My plan is to keep her shut in the office with me while I work. I prefer not to have her in the crate during that time (more for sleeping and when we're out). But I may keep it in the office in case she wants to crawl in on her own for a nap. She'll have plenty of toys, and we'll take breaks to go outside, play, and work on her training (she's already learned three tricks in her first training day -- smart little cookie). And other than that, I'm going to hope for the best. It'll be a balancing act, but we'll figure it out.

Have you dealt with a new puppy while you work from home? Do you have any tips or suggestions based on what worked and didn't work for you? Let me know!

Jenn