Nanny Cams

Before You Buy a Nanny Cam

The first step in protecting your child from neglect and abuse at the hands of a nanny is to hire the right nanny. When finding a childcare provider, make sure you do a thorough background and reference check. Before leaving the nanny alone with your child, spend time interacting with the nanny and your children together. If you can afford it, hire the nanny for a full week before you return to work. For more on this subject, read Hiring a Nanny.

Once you have returned to work, try to call home frequently to check in. If possible, stop home unannounced for a quick visit. Ask a close friend to do the same thing a few times. After a few unannounced visits at different times of the day, you will have a feel for how things are going with your nanny.

Listen to Your Child

The best way to tell if your childcare situation is working out is to listen to your child. If your little one is old enough to communicate with you, discuss the situation with your child. Ask him how things are going and how he feels about the nanny. Ask him for specific information like what the nanny does if he misbehaves. Unfortunately, children who are being mistreated are often afraid to tell on their caregivers so you can not assume that everything is fine after talking to your little one. Many nannies are also caring for children who are still too little to communicate mistreatment or neglect. It is important to listen to more than just your child’s words. Pay close attention to any changes you might notice in your child’s habits and behaviors. Does he have a harder time than usual separating from you? Is he experiencing bad dreams or frequent stomach aches? Is he having trouble sleeping or has his appetite changed? Does he seem sad or anxious? Is he acting out or expressing violent emotions? If you are noticing some of these things and you are feeling anxious about your childcare situation, you may want to consider a Nanny Cam.

Using Surveillance

There are two ways you can use a Nanny Cam to monitor your in-home childcare provider: with his or her knowledge and consent of the cam, or without:

With Knowledge and Consent

Using a hidden camera with the knowledge and consent of your nanny can be an excellent way to assure the proper care of your child and to connect with your family throughout the day. Let the nanny know that you have purchased and installed surveillance so you can participate in your child’s day a bit more. The knowledge that she is being watched should be enough to assure the proper care of your child. Change the location of the cam frequently. If you have problems with what you see on the cam, you can play it for the nanny and discuss your concerns. Used properly and respectfully, a cam can help build a stronger, more successful relationship with your childcare provider.

Without Knowledge and Consent

If you have serious concerns that something is amiss with your childcare provider or if your child is exhibiting signs of anxiety, you might choose to use a Nanny Cam without the knowledge and consent of your nanny. These devices are easy to hide and easy to use. To best protect your nanny’s privacy, only place cams where she will be interacting with your child. Never place cams in bathrooms or private bedrooms. If you have monitored your nanny for an extended time and are happy with what you have seen, you might want to remove the cam or consider continuing its use with the knowledge and consent of your nanny. Be aware that if your nanny becomes aware that she has been monitored without her knowledge, this may end or permanently damage your relationship.

Is It Legal and How Does it Work?

It is legal in all 50 states to use a hidden camera that records video without the consent of the nanny. However, the laws vary from state to state on whether you can record audio. Before taping conversation without consent from your nanny, check the laws in your state.

Nanny Cams are very small cameras, wireless or wired, that feed into a VCR kept somewhere else in the house. Some more expensive models can feed to a computer at your work or to your cell phone. Cameras are sold in various household items to be inconspicuous like in a clock, smoke alarm, potted plant, or picture frame. Prices vary anywhere from $100.00 to $1000.00. To shop for a surveillance system, visit Spy Cameras.com.