Deciding whether to use a nanny cam to monitor how a babysitter or caregiver is handling the task of managing your children is a difficult dilemma. Parents have the option of putting their trust in the person they have tasked with taking care of their children or monitoring that person’s activities using cameras that are strategically put around the house.
The first aspect that we must go over is the legality. In the United States, it is completely legal for someone to record video of anything going on in their house when there is a reason to do so. Spying on a nanny through a camera is fine. But there are some states where audio recordings of another person are not legally permissible, even if they were recorded in your own home.
Pros of Using a Nanny Camera
1. Peace of Mind
The biggest reason why a parent would want to use cameras to spy on the nanny is to obtain peace of mind. Instead of constantly worrying about how your nanny is treating your child, or how your child is behaving in these situations, you will know that everything is fine and above board.
2. Exercising Your Rights
The reality is that someone is taking care of your kids in your home. It is your right to know what is going on. It is the same as having a camera set up to look at what your kids are doing when they have left home alone – as they get older. If your kids get home from school at 4 PM, but you do not get back until a few hours later, you would have a camera setup to see what is going on at the house. It is the same concept with a nanny cam. A stranger is taking care of your kids, and you want to know what is going on.
3. Communication
If you know what is happening, you can correct small mistakes. Perhaps your nanny is doing something your child does not appreciate, such as sever scolding when they misbehave, and you know a better way for them to achieve a given result. You can tell your nanny what to do if you could see what he or she is doing wrong.
Cons of Using a Nanny Camera
1. Violating Trust
If you are hiring an experienced nanny who has a great reputation, and you are using cameras to spy on them, you may break their trust. If the nanny finds out about these cameras, it may cause them to leave the job unless you take them down.
2. Misleading Footage
When you are watching a camera recording from a specific angle, it is hard to get the full context of what is happening. Maybe you only see the beginning or end of an incident, or you see it from a bad angle. Something that looks like neglect or abuse could be a misunderstanding caused by poor video footage.
3. Invasion of Privacy
It is one thing to have a camera set up in one or two rooms of the house, where your nanny and child are spending time during the day. But if you have cameras set up all over the house, and even in rooms like the bathroom, you are invading the privacy of the person taking care of your child.
If you want to avoid using a nanny cam, we will suggest that you thoroughly review potential caregiver through interviews, background checks, following up with some references and clearly communicate your expectations. If you decide to use a nanny cam, do let them know upfront during the hiring process.
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