Nanny cameras always spark a heated debate. Most working moms can’t decide whether they need them or if they are a necessity. Those that go ahead and install nanny cameras are ill-advised about their drawbacks and how they should approach the subject
This post covers why you as a working mom needs a nanny camera, its benefits, and its drawbacks as well. In addition, I have created a guide to smoothly navigate this issue with your nanny.
In this post…
Why Nanny Cameras are Essential to a Working Mom
Reasons Against Nanny Cameras for Moms
Things to Consider when Installing Nanny Cameras
Tips on Nanny Camera Etiquette for Working Moms
Proven: Why Nanny Cameras are Recommended for Working Moms
As a working mom who has been hired as a nanny to care for your child, you need a nanny camera for the following reasons and benefits;
1. Nanny Cameras Maintain Security of the House
You obviously have valuables in your house that are at risk whenever you have a non-supervised third party in the house. We all have items that we would like to protect and there is a risk when your nanny is in the house alone with the baby.
There is no telling what the nanny or other intruders can take and be too late to notice. The risk is high when both parents work out of home and the nanny has unsupervised time in the house.
For such security reasons, you may see it necessary to install a nanny camera. Virtually you will be able to monitor the nanny movements and hence catch any act of stealing. The information will help you act swiftly to recover the item than to only realize valuables are missing in the house when it is too late.
As such a nanny camera maintains security within the house by helping both to deter theft/intrusion and catch theft/intrusion as well. It is why it is highly recommended for working parents.
2. Nanny Cameras helps Trust the Nanny
It can be hard for a working mom to completely trust a stranger to your baby and your home. Even though you may have done thorough vetting before hiring your nanny, you may still not trust them until you get to see their true colors.
A nanny’s real personality will show up when working unsupervised and it is important you get to see this before you can truly trust them. Trust for most working moms, especially new parents need a bit more time to fully develop than a typical interview/hiring process for a nanny.
It is here that a nanny camera comes in. You can virtually see what your nanny personality is like. It is when their true personality comes out and you may decide if the nanny is the right fit for you.
What you see on the nanny camera will help start and quicken the journey to forming a trustworthy relationship with her.
Read: How to Build Trust with a New Childcare Provider
3. Nanny Cameras Help Assess Nanny Performance
As a working mom, you have hired your nanny to care for and nurture your child. To achieve this, you must have created the job description for your nanny that stipulates her duties and tasks. Performing these tasks to perfection is very important for you in evaluating and assessing the nanny.
A nanny camera in this regard provides you with all the information. You will be able to see if and when your baby was fed, whether they were engaged with activities, played, and learnt among others.
You can easily catch cases of negligence and incompetence this way. Basically, you will observe how the nanny carries out her nannying duties and you can decide if she is the right fit for you or she needs to go.
Read: Creating a Reasonable Nanny Job Description
4. Nanny Cameras Help Reinforce Boundaries
Part of a professional nanny is keeping to her boundaries. There are things you are not comfortable with your nanny doing and areas you consider private.
It is hence important to work with a nanny who understands her position in the house and doesn’t go overboard or push the boundaries. There is no real way of knowing whether these boundaries are being observed.
With a nanny camera, you can tell the rooms the nanny has been into, the people she has allowed into the houses, how she spent her time, and anything you may consider way too over her limit as a nanny. With this information, you can talk to revisit those boundaries.
Read: Setting Reasonable Nanny Boundaries
Proven: Reasons why Nanny Cameras are Bad and Not Recommended
1. Nanny Cameras Invades Nanny Privacy
While nanny cameras are pretty becoming a standard for most working moms, many are not ready to discuss the invasion of privacy. It is especially so when the nanny is not aware there are nanny cameras in the house and hence the monitoring is happening without her knowledge.
She may therefore do things on the camera that are too personal and monitoring such situations on the camera is too invading. The nanny may also need to make personal, private calls and this may be overheard on the camera.
2. Nanny Cameras Ruins Employee Relationship
A nanny camera communicates that you do not trust the nanny. It means you do not trust the nanny you have hired to do her job. Most nannies will interpret this negatively and it can lead to tension and awkwardness between her and you.
Many believe if you don’t trust the nanny enough to not have cameras, you shouldn’t be hiring them at all. It affects how you relate with your nanny and can also affect the quality of care that the nanny delivers to the kids.
3. Nanny Cameras Makes Nannies Quit too Soon
Do your nannies quit too soon after you hire them? the reason could be the nanny cameras. There are many reasons why nannies quit their jobs too soon and a nanny camera is one of them.
Some nannies are not comfortable working under the surveillance of nanny cameras and hence quit when they find out they are being monitored. Therefore if you want to secure a long-term commitment from a nanny you should consider this.
Read: Why Your Nannies are Quitting Too Soon
4. Nanny Cameras Affects Nanny Performance
Nanny cameras feel like small spies for the working mom. It makes the room too intense and the nanny too tense to do things right. They are aware that they are being watched and this can lead to mistakes as the nanny is anxious and flustered.
Therefore they may not be able to perform optimally as the knowledge that they are being watched is weighing on them.
5. Nanny Cameras Affects Nanny’s ”Me Time”
Downtime is crucial in nanning and most use it for “me time’. However the nanny is also unable to get quality unmonitored ”me time” when there are nanny cameras in the house. A “me time” when the nanny is truly alone is impossible because they are under the camera.
Most feel it’s impossible to be their best self when they know they are being recorded every second of the day and every move they make. The alternative would be finding a room that has no cameras and this may jeopardize the safety of the baby.
Crucial Things to Consider Before Installing Nanny Cameras
1. Choose your Monitoring Priority
You need to have a reason why you are installing cameras. It can be for security reasons or child care reasons. This will then dictate the areas in which you will install the cameras as well as the how and frequency of their monitoring.
For instance, if it is for security, you need it only in areas you want to protect.
2. Decide Your Family Comfort
You need to remember that you will be also be captured by the nanny cameras. The nanny camera will record everything and everybody. Therefore if your family monitoring is not part of the reason you are installing cameras, you need to set up when to switch them on and off.
You typically want the cameras off when the family is home and the nanny is away and have them back on when the nanny is home. Failing to do this can lead to your privacy invasion.
3. Discuss Nanny Cameras before Hiring
It is important that you bring on board a nanny who is comfortable with nanny cameras. It is fair to let the nanny know she will be under surveillance and let her decide if to take a job.
Most nannies are ok with nanny cameras but it is important they are aware of them and their location in the house. Doing so also helps in the hiring process and its screens out those that are not ok with the nanny cameras.
It also prevents the situation of a nanny quitting after realizing there are nanny cameras in the house. By discussing cameras beforehand, you end up with a nanny who truly cares for her job and is the right fit for you.
Expert Tips on Nanny Camera Etiquette for your Home
- Be upfront about the locations of the cameras and how they work
- Don’t micromanage the nanny through the cameras. Only monitor the camera based on necessity
- Consider everything you see from the context it was happening. Many nannies are terrified about anything being misconstrued on camera because it was taken out of context.
- Know the things to let go of and things to confront the nanny about
- Decide if the cameras will record or only monitor in real-time
- Make nanny comfortable by allowing her access to the camera feed. It feels like the working mom is not spying.
- Cover feed non-disclosure in the contract. It should state you shall not post clips of her to the internet or share with friends
- Most reasonable areas to have nanny cams include the children’s sleeping area, playroom, front door, etc
