Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels
Having a nanny cam in your home can initially seem like a no-brainer. Your utmost priority as a parent is to protect your child, and a nanny cam lets you keep tabs on what your childcare provider is doing at all times.
Nanny cam technology has become significantly more accessible and usable in recent years as well.
With that being said, there are possible downsides to consider. For example, what are the legal implications of a nanny cam?
The following are some things to weigh before you install cameras in your home.
Peace of Mind
The biggest upside of a nanny cam, without a doubt, is that it gives you peace of mind. If you aren’t able to be at home and with your child, a nanny cam can be the next best thing, particularly when you first hire a new childcare provider.
It’s difficult to leave a child of any age in the care of a babysitter or nanny, but especially a baby or toddler who can’t communicate if something is going on.
If you’re working, you can access your nanny cam remotely any time you might be feeling anxiety or stress, and it can help you stay focused and productive in the office.
You Feel More Connected
This was briefly touched on, but you might want a nanny cam not necessarily because you’re worried about your child’s safety or check in on the care provider, but because you miss them during the day.
You can see what your child is doing throughout the day and feel like you’re part of their everyday activities and perhaps some milestones as well.
Nanny Cams Can Protect Your Nanny
Another upside of nanny cams?
They don’t just offer a layer of protection for your child or children. If there was an intruder or an emergency situation, a nanny cam could also protect your care provider.
We can’t forget either that as long as they’re used legally, a nanny cam is your right as a parent and a homeowner who is entrusting your child to the care of another person.
With that in mind, what about the potential downsides?
Legality
There are legal situations to be aware of if you’re going to use a nanny cam.
For example, in some states, you can’t have a hidden nanny cam. You have to tell someone that you’re recording them when they’re in your home.
If there was a situation where that footage needed to be used in court, you might not even be able to use it, depending on the laws in your state.
There are also laws regarding audio specifically.
For example, in states like Florida, there are all-party guidelines for audio recordings, meaning to record a conversation or any audio, you have to have the consent of everyone involved.
You have to be careful where you place nanny cams too. For example, you can’t place one in a bathroom where your sitter or nanny could be using it or might otherwise have a reasonable expectation of privacy.
A good way to avoid possible legal downsides of nanny cams is to inform your babysitter you have them, tell her where they are located, and have her sign off on them.
Your Nanny Might Feel Like You Violated Her Trust
Again, this is a possible downside of a nanny cam that you can absolutely avoid by talking to your childcare provider if you have or are going to put cameras in your home.
There’s really no reason to focus on secretly taping your child care provider. Your goal isn’t to catch them in the act of something. Your goal is to protect your family and home. If you’re worried that you’re going to find something by using a secret nanny cam, then perhaps you should rethink your choice of a childcare provider.
It’s important to have a sense of trust with this person on both ends, and then the use of a nanny cam becomes something that’s mutually agreed upon.
Most nannies and child care providers don’t have a problem when they’re informed of these cameras.
It Could Be Distracting
Finally, if you want a nanny cam so you can check in on your child while you’re at work, you have to ensure that it doesn’t distract you or perhaps make you miss your child even more. It could become too much of your focus, so you’ll have to set boundaries for yourself before you check in on the camera and what your child is doing throughout the day.