Do you let your nanny use your home computer? What would you do in my position?

[MumToAPiglet]

Our nanny has occassionally asked whether she can use my laptop. Usually when babysitting in the evening. I have always said yes but assumed she would always ask.

Yesterday my five year old told me that the nanny had been on my laptop in my bedroom (where I had left it) while my girls played in their room. I was a bit put out to hear this as (a) she had not asked, (b) the children were both at home and she clearly was not focussing on them, and (c) she was in my bedroom, sitting on my (unmade) bed using my laptop which I think it quite odd.

Raising this with her could be quite awkward. What should I do?

I wouldn't feel comfortable about it.
You can't really be sure what she's looking at on your computer, she might be able to access private files in the machine that you'd prefer her not to, and you're paying her to look after your children not surf the net.

As it's a laptop, I think I might be tempted to put it away somewhere difficult to find when she's coming.

password protect it so she can't get on.

then, if she is babysitting you can unlock it before you go out. but during the day there is no access

That is a clever idea ThisIsYesterday. I could say I had added a password for work reasons. Now I just have to work out how to add a password.

I think you need to clarify with the nanny what she is allowed to use the laptop for whilst on duty.

It's school holidays for your son, (and if you have younger children then all the toddler groups have packed up as well) she may have been checking out different activities she can do with the children - checking locations/times/prices of different outings/activities/events etc. Is that a likely scenario? It was something I used to do quite a lot and it was never a problem for my employers.

Also wanted to mention that I only used the PC that was in the playroom, and was locked to adult sites. I would have felt uncomfortable sitting on my employers bed.

Pickle - I don't think she was using the laptop for that purpose. She tends to use the laptop to check e-mails, bank and shop on amazon. Also she has plans for the week.

My children are 5 and 3 so quite young. I am a little put out that she was on the laptop while they were awake. It is totally different when she is babysitting in the evening.

Definitely password protect it, you should be able to go into User Accounts from the Control Panel menu (I think, if it's like mine) and add a password.

In our house we see computers as quite private things that you don't let other people on lightly, DP and I both use them for work and there are things that are supposed to be confidential. So I would probably be quite apologetic but not let a nanny (or anyone else really) use it except when I was there.

Another option is to give the nanny your internet password. That way she need never use your computer. I use my android phone while at work or babysitting. I access the internet to email my employers and when the baby is sleeping and my duties are done. (Or cases like now when I'm sat with baby waiting for him to drop off in his cot )

You could also take the opportunity to outline when internet usage is ok. ( not that she should need telling - but it means you have comeback if you need to say something in a more serious capacity.

If you are certain she's using the laptop for personal reasons during the day then that's not on, especially if the children are quite young and not asleep. I would agree with others about password protect.

Did she delete her history? I'd be tempted to be blunt and say, "I don't mind you using the laptop when you're babysitting but I'd rather you didn't use it when you're working." That way she's under no illusions about what you're happy with.

Its a bit odd, I always had use of the family's computor when I was live-in and didn't own one. But only after work or weekends, and I'd ask each time! Doing it during work hours is one thing- maybe if kids are sleeping or I really need to know something like checking travel arrangements or opening times. But if it was in the parent's bedroom! No way. I hate going in there, to me bedrooms are a private thing.

At my current job I have no way of checking anything on the web unless I have my kindle with me (which is a really bad way of checking!). I try and look anything I need up before I go to work, and if I babysit late or overnight I take my laptop.

My last boss told me on my first day to feel free to use the laptop while my charge was sleeping. They set it up so there were two users, them (password protected) and me. So I could use the internet, etc, but there were files on the computer that were locked to me. (I assume there were, anyway. I never used it except to go on Facebook or look up recipes/activities online for my charge)
I have also sat on my bosses bed - but that was when my charges cot was in her room and there was no chair. I had to sit on the bed for feeds and to settle her for naps!
I can't imagine just lounging on my bosses bed to read or go on the internet!

I use the home computer fairly regularly, but only for work related things e.g. opening times, journey planner, finding phone numbers, emailing parents/activities, booking appointments etc. Thankfully it is in a communal area and not a bedroom as that would make me uncomfortable.

If she was using it for personal reasons then you are right to be annoyed if it was to research something for then children then I think YABU.

I find it odd that you would trust someone with your children, but not your laptop!

My nanny has use of my laptop, to avoid her being able to change settings etc. I set her up with her own logon (really easy if your computer uses Windows) so she has her own password etc. and doesn't log on to "my" area. The reason I did it was so that she can't change settings, download software with viruses in etc (as I have administrator privileges and she doesn't). But thinking about it, also means she can't see anything I have stored, websites I've visited etc.

TBH I have no idea exactly how/when she uses it (although I know her password so could log on as her and look if I really wanted to). If she was inclined to use it excessively whilst watching my daughter (21mths) I'd say good luck to her because it's all I can do to send an email without a toddler wanting to press all the buttons! I know she uses it to find toddler groups etc. locally and to register for football class, music class, etc. which obviously is fine. She also uses it for college work but only when my daughter sleeps and she still has a 2 hour daytime nap so I have no issue with that.

Not sure I'd be especially happy about her being on it in my bed though, or leaving kids to play next door whilst she did so. Bear in mind though that to kids what seems like an adult spending ages doing something could just have been her spending 10 mins checking an urgent email or something. Maybe you could set her up with her own logon (use the excuse that it will ensure she can't accidentally change the settings or anything, which is easily done and v annoying!) and mention at the same time that you'd rather she only used it when the children didn't need her full attention, i.e. they are asleep or occupying themselves?

I would be careful in how you word it incase she wasnt using it for personal use. I occasionally go on my bosses laptop to look up cinema times, find taxi numbers, recipes etc I would hate my boss to think and then accuse me of going on it for my own things while the children were awake.

ive always had use of works laptop and been given mb/db passwords etc

yes i have been known to fiddle on it during the day, sometimes for me and other times for kids activites/cinema times/games on ceebeebies etc but i would have the children within view so yes seems a bit strange to be upstairs out of sight, esp if a lappy

tbh i generally use my phone as have iphone 'strokes lovingly'

but as someone else said, if you trust your nanny with your children, then surely you can trust her to not look at your private files etc

i would never dream of doing that - and if in doubt what she is looking at then look at the history - but again seems this shows lack of trust

ps - make your bed before you go to work you lazy bugger

I don't see it as 'if you don't trust them with my computer how can u trust them with your children' exactly. I'm trying to think of how to explain it.

Our office where the computer is, is part of our working environment the same way other files (if they were in hard format) or a desk used only by us would be. It's not the same as using the house telephone, which is shared by everyone, or a TV or the wii, etc the computer is used by DH and me for mostly quite specific things. The office is just a place where I don't want a third party spending time hanging out generally.

We do have laptop they can access if they need to though. Although 'need' is really stretching it. There's not really much they 'need' to do on the computer for their jobs, if anything.

I didn't get the impression that the OP was worried about the nanny looking at private files etc, more that she had gone into the OP's bedroom and used the laptop when she should have been looking after the children. To me, my bedroom is my personal space and I don't like people going in there without good reason.

As a nanny, I rarely had any need to go in my employers bedroom. Occassionally I'd go and grab the baby monitor out or something. My employers would never have said I couldn't go in their bedrooms but I don't think they needed to. That's just my own view though. I don't have issues with nannies using the family lap top at work if the children are sleeping or to quickly find out about recipes/activities. I'm all for children not being entertained 24/7. I think it's more about the nanny going into the OP's bedroom. I assume she would have had to have searched the house for the laptop to have known it was in the OP's bedroom. It just seems like it's crossing the boundaries a bit.

true, guess i stay out of mb/db bedroom unless need something - not the laptop lol

I'm more with blondes -use my iPhone but have access to their computers if I needed anything. Have Skyped grandparents occasionally (at mb/db request) also Skype with db when he's away with work so littlest (3) can see Dad. Have only ever used the Mac in the kitchen in full view of everyone.

On a laptop not in same room as kids is a bit odd... Couldn't she have sat in same room & checked?

About laptops - my nanny has a free access to my laptop during the day, but only Guest account. My account is password protected. I occasionaly check her Internet browsing history, and is not too much, so far I am happy about it.
About use of bedrooms - again my nanny is allowed to be wherever she wants to be in the house. Our bedroom contains DC2 cot, biggest TV in the house and DVD player, nappy changing facilities, so they stay & play on our bed, I believe, quite a lot. That really doesn't matter to me as long as children are happy.