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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Nanny Cams

43 replies

nannynoss · 22/05/2014 12:38

I'm just looking for employer and nanny views on nanny cams. Where do you stand with them? Inspired by an AIBU thread at the moment.

I'm really surprised how many people are happily secretly filming their nannies.

If I was told about a nanny cam in the house, that would be absolutely fine. I just really don't like the secrecy of an employer hiding cameras, then sitting watching replays of it in the evenings.
I am always upfront and honest about EVERYTHING with employers, but I would really hope for the same amount of honesty back.
If they are secretly filming me, what else are they secretly doing?

Not sure if it's just because I'm live-in that I feel uncomfortable with it.

OP posts:

Blondeshavemorefun · 22/05/2014 18:10

And agree you wouldn't relax as much when crawling round on flier plying chase - singing songs / etc being recorded

I think if as an employer you feel you need a nanny can then you need a new nanny as you obv don't trust your nanny

PowerPants · 23/05/2014 00:41

I am a parent with nannies and no way would I use a nanny cam. It's all about trust!

MiscellaneousAssortment · 23/05/2014 01:00

I am interested to know how people would react to this situation:

Being disabled and bed bound, I can't be heard when I call from my bedroom. I wonder if a baby cam (not hidden!) which doesnt record but lets me see & hear real time a room, and can be linked to speakers so I could speak too. I think I'd put it in the lounge & id keep it mostly off bit would be able to turn it on occasionally

when I can hear ds kicking off and want to know someone else is dealing with it
when I want to check if they're still in the house, so I can ask for something, ask someone to answer the door/ check to see if they've heard the door and I'm not lying here missing a delivery/ visitor etc (or go to the loo without pygamas without scaring people!)
when I can hear fun and laughter I might be tempted to have a look so I can feel soppy
and finally so I could ask for help should I need it

Would a nanny/ pa find this a horrible breach of privacy? If told and explained to them why? I wouldn't want to make someone feel judged or not free to put their feet up for a minute etc, but I do waste so much energy going backwards and forwards on days when I know I shouldn't be moving and over straining my body. In sheer convenience terms I think it may help, but I value good relationships as much.

The one I'm looking at has a red light that comes on when it's active, so although I wouldn't be able to tell them when I was about to turn it on, I wouldn't be hiding it at all... (as id have to walk to the room to tell her then go back to bed to turn it on - kind of pointless!)

Anyway, this thread just reminded me about that idea I've had for a whole, but not convinced about it.

Blondeshavemorefun · 23/05/2014 09:02

Wouldn't a phone or walky talky be better option if you want the person in the house to do stuff/need to contact them?

Callaird · 23/05/2014 15:56

Miscellaneous it wouldn't bother me if I knew where it was and when you were watching but again with the 'fun and laughter' bit, if I knew you were watching I would feel a bit uncomfortable and would compose myself! After all you are employing a nanny who is sensible and caring and capable! I wouldn't like my employers to see me acting like a little kid!

MiscellaneousAssortment · 23/05/2014 23:58

Thanks for the advice, hope I haven't hijacked thread too much.

I can't do rough housing silliness so for me I would be massively reassured and happy to see someone else doing it - but I take your point about dignity!

I will think about it a bit more and then pass the idea by the nanny...

Original poster

nannynoss · 24/05/2014 10:20

Misc, I missed your first post somehow sorry.
I think if you bring it up right from the get go, and get the nanny involved in where to place it etc, it would be fine.
I would probably worry about you switching it on during tantrums, as I would doubt myself more about if I was doing the right thing if I thought I was being watched. But that is just a trait of mine, I am a worrier! Not all nannies would be like that ;)

OP posts:

MiscellaneousAssortment · 24/05/2014 17:12

Thanks nannynoss, would it be reassuring if I said I would only look for tantrums after a few minutes, definitely not at the first sign of trouble? Hummm, I don't want to make anyone feel uncomfortable - tricky tricky tricky!

snoofle · 24/05/2014 17:16

My daughter is a nanny. She is happy to be filmed.

FlusteredFairy1 · 24/05/2014 17:43

Did someone suggest the nanny being able to access the cam and watch parents interactions with children. 'What's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander'. Definitely a CPD exercise.

MiscellaneousAssortment · 24/05/2014 18:06

Flustered

I think that's a very good point!

FlusteredFairy1 · 24/05/2014 18:17

Miscel, I have messages you. Thanks.

flipflop79 · 01/06/2014 23:58

Very interesting thread. Just last week there were two news items regarding nannies and kids. One mentioned by Ocado where a nanny was throwing a child around and another where a nanny was supplying her boy friend with kids in her care. Stories like this scare the living daylights out of parents.

I also don't feel that the web cam needs to be used only to catch out these extreme cases or any case, at all. A large number of nurseries now have web cam with parents able to login to see their children. I sent my DD to such a nursery and It was amazing how good it feels to be able to see your child when you are away and see that they are fine. A picture is worth a thousand words.

But if it's done clandestinely, shouldn't it be a against the law? That's just wrong.

Cause even if one is using it to keep an eye on things, wouldn't it be better to tell the nanny it's there and use it as a deterrent rather than wait and watch for something nasty to happen.

linkery · 02/06/2014 07:53

good points flipflop79

If I was a parent, I think that I might ask the nanny in interview if she was ok with a nannycam. And watch for their reaction.
See whether they said yes grudgingly, or whether theyw alked away from the interview.

Or the other way of doing it maybe to just say you wanted to install one, if you got to a point of mistrust with the nanny.
[But something may have already happened by that point]

schlafenfreude · 02/06/2014 10:19

Done clandestinely it is against the law, which makes it a massive stumbling block when prosecuting.

I can see both POV and I don't think nannies should have anything to fear from nannycams but when you're playing on the floor and your knickers are showing above your jeans it's not presenting your best side....

Also if you're a clean and tidy person there's a risk that you see what a state your house gets into during the day

Tanith · 02/06/2014 11:24

Cams don't stop abuse, though. A quick look on Youtube confirms that - nurseries around the world with cameras and still people are filmed hurting children.

What really gets me is that, instead of people saying "I must be careful to take on professional, properly trained nannies and childcarers, take up references and listen to my instincts when they tell me something is wrong.", they seem to prefer suspecting every childcarer and filming them covertly, just in case.

Is it just lower paid people, I wonder, who should be filmed every minute of the day, just in case, or should we introduce it for doctors, dentists and other professionals? After all, members of their professions have been accused of abuse and failing to do their jobs properly. Why doesn't suspicion automatically fall on them?

linkery · 02/06/2014 13:26

It is like Health and Safety. Bound to stop some that no one will know about. Or the frequency or the severity.
Or even that they dont go into the job in the first place.

flipflop79 · 03/06/2014 18:36

Tanith, your post reminded me of my previous workplace. we had cameras on the floors for security. However on one occasion a colleague's laptop charger went missing and ask much as he did no one seemed to have a clue where it went. He was so pissed, he went to security and asked to look at the recordings...security refused look through the recordings themselves, as that was not the purpose of the cameras; but were ok to allow him to trudge through them. He did...and found it was a colleague across his desk who had nicked it..and on being asked feigned ignorance LOL...it was a hoot! The office was ok to take up action (I wonder what they would have done) but the guy dropped it. Anyways, this is completely off topic, but I was reminded of this incident and decided to share on a lighter note.

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