And she does the most important work, by far, taking care of the children. She does a wonderful job. However, Ruemmele rarely has time alone to herself and would like to go back to teaching someday, she said. In the meantime, she gets by with a little help from her friends. Two years ago, shortly before Alex was born, Ruemmele joined the College Street Cooperative Playgroup, a daycare run by parents who don't need full-time child care.
Parents earn four mornings of child care for each morning they work in the playgroup.
It's good for them to start sharing early so they get used to it. The playgroup also offers an occasional break from parenting. Ruemmele's day typically begins about 7 a.m., when she might have to convince Lydia to get dressed or persuade Alex not to throw his food. Five days a week, she loads both children in the car to drop off her husband, Debashish Bhattacharya, at work on campus. Three days a week, Lydia is dropped off at preschool for a few hours.