Leaving your child with a nanny for the first time can be a stressful experience: after all you entrust someone that you don’t really know yet with the most important person in your life.
This is exactly why it is very important that you take as many precautions as possible when you select a new babysitter. You can find some tips on this subject here.
But even after following the best practices to select a nanny, some parents still feel nervous and would like to keep an eye on what happens in their home when they are not there. In fact, some families consider using nanny cams to ensure that their child is properly cared for in their absence.
It is clearly a personal decision that depends on each family’s choice, but the experts agree that if using a video camera is a good idea if it brings peace of mind to the family, it shouldn’t be hidden.
As a matter of fact, today many day care facilities have video feeds that allow parents to see what their kids are doing during the day.
Setting up such a system in a transparent fashion allows you to build a relationship based on trust with your nanny rather than spying on her without her knowledge. It is not showing distrust but rather staying in touch and your nanny will certainly have no issue with it.
On the other hand, if you have any suspicion of inappropriate behaviour from the nanny, such as the sudden apparition of bruises or personality changes in your kid, the best answer is probably to let go your babysitter immediately.
You do not want to take any chance with your child health and well being, and best-case scenario a change in his/her behaviour indicates that this nanny is not a good match.
Finding a new babysitter is therefore the best option anyway.
The best advice is to take as many precautions as possible when selecting a nanny and to establish a trusting relationship with her. Being up-front and explaining that you set up a video feed to stay in touch with your kid is part of this trust system and will allow you to have peace of mind without creating a climate of distrust.
If you want to install a camera, there are many models available varying widely in terms of capabilities, from recording the situation for playback later to live streaming to your computer or mobile device. We recommend the two models below, however, do some research and read online reviews to determine which system best fits your needs.