nanny cam on table

7 Things You Might Not Have Thought About Before Installing a Nanny Cam

As a parent, you want to make sure your babies are protected, especially when you’re not around. Thankfully, you live in the modern-day, where that kind of surveillance is 100 percent possible!

Cool little gadgets like a nanny cam can create accountability for those in charge of watching your pride and joy.

However, they don’t come without their drawbacks as well… drawbacks that people don’t often consider before spending hundreds of dollars to buy and install them.

Take the time to consider the pros and cons carefully before deciding on the best way to monitor your kid’s nanny.

Here are several things that may not have occurred to you about the nanny cam you’re thinking of buying.

1. Their Only Legal Use Is in Public Areas

As a parent, you have a legal right to monitor and record the happenings in your home in an effort to watch your children. 

However, there are only certain areas of the house that you’re allowed to do so.

Whether you realized it or not, there are areas of your house considered public areas and private areas. You could probably guess which rooms fall into which category.

The cameras can be hidden or be out in plain sight (whatever your preference), but they can’t be legally placed in the bathroom or a temporary room the nanny might be staying in. Doing so would compromise the nanny’s rights to privacy.

Just make sure that your nanny cam is in a legal area of your house and it’ll be good to go!

2. They Can Lead to a Misunderstanding

Often times, nanny cams will only give you half of the story.

You may see your baby crying and alone in the room your cam is in but not see the nanny hustling in another room to find her pacifier. That can lead to a huge misunderstanding from you as the concerned parent.

In short, a nanny cam may stress you out in a situation that the nanny has completely under control.

If you’re looking to avoid those types of situations, but are still heavily interested in monitoring their safety, home security systems might be a better option.

3. Set the Expectation with Your Nanny

The last thing you want is to hire a nanny that’s uncomfortable with being monitored via a nanny cam or home system.

During the nanny hiring process, make them all aware of the nanny cam you have and ask if they’re comfortable with it.

Be sure to explain your reasoning, the peace-of-mind that it gives you and why you’d feel more comfortable with one. If they agree with your reasoning, then all parties involved are fully aware of the situation.

4. Nanny Cams Can Be Hacked

Unfortunately, there are people out there in the world that hack into home cameras in an attempt to spy on others.

Fortunately, they only pry on those that are unaware of the hacking that can take place.

Just make sure the cam you purchase is protected and loaded with security features and you’ll be good to go.

Carefully consider the track record of the nanny cam you’re purchasing. Research some online reviews and make the right decision for your family based on what you find.

5. You Might Be Interested in It for the Wrong Reasons

First and foremost, a nanny cam shouldn’t be used to catch the immoral acts of a nanny, it should be used to stop them from happening at all.

In order to do that, your nanny has to know it’s there. Let them know that it’s in the house and how many that you have.

If you only have one, let them know where the camera is and inform them the baby isn’t to leave that room while you’re away from the house.

That may seem a bit harsh, but you’re the parent. You’re the one paying for them to watch your child. Setting these guidelines in place will protect your kid(s) from any harm while they’re out of your reach.

6. It Can Create Tension Between Nanny and Parent

Depending on the person, some people can be a bit too much of a helicopter parent.

Pairing that with a nanny cam can lead to some confrontations between the parent and the nanny. Even though you have the nanny cam in place, don’t use it as an opportunity to scrutinize your nanny’s methods.

If the nanny has been understanding and trusting as to why you wanted the camera in place, then you need to be just as trusting with their methods of caring for your child.

7. They Can Speak for Your Children When Your Children Can’t

One of the main concerns you may have as a parent is that your child is too young to speak up for itself and tell you if anything was wrong.

The nanny cam can be the voice for your child and fill you in on anything that’s crossing the line.

Now you’ll have a clear understanding of what goes on in your home even when you’re away. 

Not only will you be able to see any wrongdoing, but you can also put an end to it once and for all.

Consider All Your Options with a Nanny Cam

Whether you ultimately decide to go with a nanny cam is entirely up to you. Only you know your situation.

If you feel that you can trust your nanny, but just want a bit more surveillance, then a nanny cam can be a great option for you.

If you want more informative info like this, check out the rest of our blog. 

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