Home > Information A-Z > All Kids Information Articles > Nanny- Cams
Nanny- Cams
As a parent, it is likely that you hate ever having to leave your child with anyone. You are afraid they might fall and get hurt, they may miss you and cry or worse. Add to this worry all the news reports of children being hurt by their nannies and it's enough to make some parents want to never get a babysitter again. This, however, isn't very realistic. There are often things that parents need or want to do that can't involve children, so you may have to have someone come sit with your child. And it is very likely that you will always want this person to be a close friend or relative—someone you know loves your child. But for many parents, this isn’t an option due to living far away from family, etc.
In this case, you may want to consider what has come to be known as a Nanny Cam.
A nanny cam is a small camera with such a small lens that it is nearly undetectable. These cameras are placed in average household items that most people would never suspect as having a camera inside such as a smoke detector, hollow book, houseplant, etc. Once a nanny has been videotaped, it can be plugged directly into a TV or VCR to be watched.
There has been much debate and controversy on these cameras since they became widely available. Many questions such as whether or not it's legal to videotape a nanny without them knowing. Other questions are ones that ask what a parent is doing leaving their child in the care of someone they obviously don't trust much. Since many parents who use them do so because they suspect something is amiss with the way their sitter is treating their child, this is an understandable argument. This would mean that the parent is still placing their child in potentially dangerous care and simply watching a video of the bad behavior. Granted, they would be able to put a stop to any future problems by firing the sitter once they watched the video, but some experts say that if your gut feeling tells you that this nanny needs to be watched secretly there is something wrong and you should simply fire the nanny and move on.
Another reason that some people say you should do this is not only that you are putting your child in what you believe is a potentially harmful situation, but you could possibly continue to do so without even catching the person. This is because the nanny cam can cause false trust. For example, a person hires a nanny, notices that suddenly their child is acting strangely and suspects the nanny might be mistreating the child (not necessarily abusing them, but maybe not giving them enough attention or they are being left to cry for long periods, etc.). Instead of firing the sitter, the parents decide to use a nanny cam to check to make sure that there is no bad behavior. They set the cam up in a particular room and watch for weeks with no results. They then quit worrying and feel they must have been wrong only to figure out (possibly too late) that the person has been mistreating their child all along, but it just didn't happen to ever occur in the room that the cam was.
There are many reasons that parents may choose to use a nanny cam, they may use one all the time with all babysitters and nannies just to be able to know what goes on when they aren't around or they may feel they need to further investigate a situation with it. Whatever the reasoning, they are legal to use, but the laws for each state vary. If you aren't sure, the nanny cam retailer you use should be able to tell you what the laws are in your state.
Nanny cams can be bought and placed inside an item you currently have inside your house or they are available already placed inside items such as a baby monitor. Prices for cams that you place yourself start at about $75, and pre-placed cams start around $200.
Copyright 2010. All educational materials are the sole property of Kid First Internet and are available for the benefit of our parents. Duplication or use of any material requires the express consent of Kids First Internet.
Click Here to Browse Cam Monitors
Browse information articles by category:
Babies
Toddlers
Kids
Health and Safety
Nutrition and Feeding
Bathing
Behavior and Discipline
Diapers and Potty Training
Playtime activities and toys
Clothing
Napping and Nighttime
View All Articles
Kids Bedding Information Center:
Nursery and Crib Safety
Allergy Information
Kids Bedding Gift Giving
Bedding Themes
Crib and Nursery Sizes
Typical Prices
Bedding Production
Cleaning
Materials and Fabrics
Boys Bedding and Girls Bedding
Kids and Baby Bedding Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best kids bedding brands? A look at some of the best kids bedding sets.
What comes in the different crib and nursery sets? Know exactly what you are ordering - before you order.
How do I choose the perfect kids bedding gift? Here are three simple rules for picking out a wonderful kids bedding or baby bedding set!
How can I create a safe nursery? A short article on safety and kids bedding and baby bedding.
How do I clean my kids bedding? Tips and directions to make your kids bedding set last forever.
How long does it take for my kids bedding purchase to arrive? Read about why it is important to order kids bedding several weeks in advance.
Why buy kids bedding or baby bedding online? Learn why we can offer the best prices on kids bedding.
|
