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AIBU?

To be horrified by the idea of 'nurserycams'

96 replies

Splinters · 05/01/2015 16:19

Apparently a friend's dtds are starting at a nursery where parents can log in and watch their children on a webcam. I'd never heard of this as our nursery doesn't have it, and I'm horrified! Totally different to an 'open door' policy imo, because a) once the footage exists you have no control over these images of your child, and b) other parents could give their login details to anyone, so anyone could be watching without the knowledge of the nursery staff.

Obviously this isn't an issue for us at the moment, but I can't stop thinking about it now! Can you refuse permission for your child to be in view of a webcam, or does accepting a place at a nursery with cameras mean that you have to accept them? Because there's no way I would if we ever had to move.

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Suefla62 · 05/01/2015 16:22

Why would anyone want to be watching images of your child? The cams are for the protection of the children. Really this paranoia about pictures of children is really getting OTT.

Quinandthem · 05/01/2015 16:25

A nursery near us allows you to log in and check for a week or so - not ongoing.

Our nursery doesn't have any video recordings - although they do take pictures for their folders.

Personally I don't really see the big issue. It's because of views like that that stop people taking photos/videos of their own children when swimming or at plays etc.

ShatnersBassoon · 05/01/2015 16:25

Why would any parent give their login details to someone else? Why would anyone but the parents be interested?

PoppySausage · 05/01/2015 16:29

I think it's good, I would love to watch dd at nursery!

PiperIsTerrysChoclateOrange · 05/01/2015 16:30

As a parent I would find it way to distracting.

What about child protection, do they have an IT specialist making sure firewalls and hackers can't get into the system.

EvilTendency1 · 05/01/2015 16:30

I can't see the issue.

A friend was logging in to check her child and what she saw was grounds for complaint and she stopped sending her daughter, so they have their uses.

I wouldn't have a problem at all with it, parents are hardly going to be handing out info to others to watch their child.

softlysoftly · 05/01/2015 16:31

I WANT a nursery with cams. I'd like to check my cold is happy and the staff are on best behaviour.

In the highly unlikely scenario of a peedo gaining access then there isn't much they can do with the images. What's the difference between that and watching your child in a park? Or are you planning on keeping them as hermits?

Sallyingforth · 05/01/2015 16:31

I really don't see the problem.
The nursery is obviously responding to customer demand by providing this, like any other facility. If parents are paranoid disliking it they can simply vote with their feet and go somewhere else.

MrsTawdry · 05/01/2015 16:31

Those of you asking why anyone else would get to view the images...have you never heard of hackers? I see things like this often on Reddit...people talk of and on one occasion I saw it myself. The video was removed but it was a live feed from a nursing home. It's astoundingly simple to do if you know how. And are sad enough to do it.

Goldmandra · 05/01/2015 16:32

What about all the other places your child could be seen on CCTV?

Sallyingforth · 05/01/2015 16:35

Yes webcams can be hacked, if the installer is foolish enough to leave the default password - and many do. I would expect the nursery to use a secure login, and change it regularly. That's easy to check.

Scoopmuckdizzy · 05/01/2015 16:36

I've never heard of this but I would love to just have a little peep at my little ones during the day. I'm not concerned about their wellbeing at nursery but I miss them when I'm at work...

MrsTawdry · 05/01/2015 16:37

gold nursery is meant to be a home from home. Being seen on CCTV on a train is not the same as when you're getting your nappy changed, eating your lunch or having your lessons.

CMOTDibbler · 05/01/2015 16:38

When ds was first at nursery, they had webcams you could access (it was v secure), but only the room your child was in, and not the nappy changing/sleep areas. You had an individual login.

It was nice to be able to see him being cuddled, and made going back to work leaving a tiny baby that bit easier - I was also confident about ratios, consitency etc

LadyLuck10 · 05/01/2015 16:39

Oh fgs this hysteria over children and photos is getting boring now. It's very common, I liked that I could check if my child was ok whenever I could.

aliasjoey · 05/01/2015 16:45

I would love our nursery to have this! Not to check up on them, just because I'd like to waste my afternoons watching children playing.

But, if 'puppycams' are anything to go by, it would be disappointing anyway: grainy footage, too dark to see properly, and half the time the puppies children are asleep

XiCi · 05/01/2015 16:49

I thought all nurseries did this. Every single one that I looked into for my dd had this facility. I think it makes going back to work a bit easier if you can log on and see that they are happy.

Goldmandra · 05/01/2015 16:50

Being seen on CCTV on a train is not the same as when you're getting your nappy changed

No nursery is going to record or transmit images of nappy changing.

Other than that I can't see how the images differ from those taken in hospitals, shops, public transport, etc.

There are issues I would want to consider as an Early Years practitioner, e.g. parents misinterpreting what they see or getting involved in spats that happen between children but I certainly don't think the children are at risk simply because someone could see a video of them playing.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 05/01/2015 16:56

God I would loath this. What about the privacy of the children and the staff. I think we get so used to living our lives on camera (CCTV and social media) that we've forgotten the importance of privacy.

feesh · 05/01/2015 17:00

Our nursery had this, it was great. Access was limited to 15 mins/day. I used to check at lunchtime, and one day saw one of my twins grab something off another plate without the staff seeing - he has a dairy allergy, so this is a big deal. I was able to raise the issue with staff and make sure he was sat further away from others at future meals.

I found it very reassuring and it also helped me time when to collect them. The images weren't great and only covered a limited area, and along with the 15 minute limit it didn't feel like you were spying or anything.

And as for the paedophile worries, what is the issue? If that nursery where babies were being abused a few years ago had had nursery cams maybe it could have been prevented....

LokiBear · 05/01/2015 17:03

I don't think I'd get any work done if my DD's nursery had these! I couldn't resist watching her. That being said, as a teacher, I'd hate to have my lessons recorded and steamed to parents. I am held to account enough by government, SLT and parents as it is. So, If parents could watch every lesson, my concern would be that they would start to question everything that I teach rather than trust my professional judgement. It is bad enough at parents evenings when some parents question me on the text or topic I have chosen (as opposed to a text that they think there dc would enjoy more). I don't think I'd want to put the nursery staff through that. I trust them completely, otherwise I wouldn't leave my daughter there.

FamiliesShareGerms · 05/01/2015 17:05

I think it's awful - if you don't trust the nursery enough to look after your DC without being able to check up on them, you shouldn't be using the nursery

There are lots of good child protection issues restricting access to footage of children well beyond paedophiles, eg for looked after children

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HedgehogsDontBite · 05/01/2015 17:09

I would love this at DS's nursery. I want to be able to see him playing and interacting with the other children but I'm restricted to spying through the window when I go to collect him.

Itsgoingtoreindeer · 05/01/2015 17:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sirzy · 05/01/2015 17:10

Personally I don't like the idea not from any worry about who is watching or anything else but I think it would add unneeded paranoia for too many parents who (especially as it will most likely be images from a distance with no sound) will jump to conclusions and possibly create issues where they don't exist! I also think if you trust your childcare provider you don't need to watch all day, if you don't trust them then it's not the right place for your child.

The nurse my son went to had cameras in the rooms BUT only the nursery management could watch these from the office so a record was there if incidents were reported but without it being a "spying" on them type thing

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