If a nanny or any employee is offended that they are being watch to me that would be a big red flag that they have something to hide, I mean seriously we are all filmed in supermarkets and stores. Does that mean we should stop shopping or going into those places? As long as you make it known to the emplyeee that there are security camera monitoring the place there suldn't be problem.
I mean you don't have to say "I have a nanny cam and I am going to be watching you" I have security cameras in my home and work. I am a nurse and I despense mediation at a substance abuse clinic. Because I am being filmed, does that mean I should feel like I am not trusted? On the contrary I feel better knowing that I can be seen. I have nothing to hide and I have been at this same job for 17years.
Seriously, any confident nanny should have no problem with a camera. It is cover her butt too in case the child does have an accident it is there on film. Not to mention it only takes a split second for someone to lose their cool.
I say go with the camera. This is your child and if a nanny is going to walk cause of being on camera, count it a blessing cause they might be hiding something. You can always hire a new nanny but our children are just too precious to take a chance.
EZ
I said in my first post, as a Mom, I totally understand wanting the nanny-cam. However, as a nanny (and a good one at that), I would have quit the job had I found out that they didn't trust me with their children. It would be the principle of the thing. If you don't trust me, don't hire me.
Hiding a nanny-cam may cause the original poster to lose a good nanny. Like I said, I had a friend who was a good nanny and loved her little child she cared for-and yet quit over the tape recording. It hurt her immensely that they didn't trust her. If it was me, I would quit as well. I wouldn't work for someone who didn't trust me alone with her child. I would have the felt the same way YOU would feel if you found out your husband was filming you at home. He married you because he loves you. What if you found out he was videotaping you in the house to make sure you were faithful and good to the kids? Are you okay with that? Is his right to know you aren't abusing the kids more important than your right to privacy in your own home?
You are AWARE of the video camera at your job. What if you found out there was one hiding in the employee break room in case you say or do something that is considered racist or off color (to protect the company's image). You were hired because you were capable of the job and your references checked out. You had the experience and the qualifications. If that's not enough for your boss, he needs to keep looking. But hiring you and secretly videotaping you would be an outrage.
Nannies are employees of the family. They deserve to be treated like professional employees. If you don't trust her, why are you hiring her?
Telling the nanny she is being filmed may cause her to not behave like herself. If you have a bad nanny who is going to abuse the kids, having a camera isn't going to solve things. A knock on the head while the child is out of camera range might be due to a nanny knuckling the child. Or it might be that the child stood up under the coffee table and banged his head. Either way you have a crying child and no real explanation for what happened. A nanny can hit a child in the car or in the bathroom. You can't film every room at every angle. And despite wanting to, you can't protect your child at every moment. You hire the best nanny you can find, call her references, make sure she has a good employment history and doesn't fly from job to job, and put your trust in her.
If you can't do that, if you honestly can't trust someone to mind the kids, then stay home and take care of the kids yourself. Otherwise, you'll be miserable and the nanny will end up quitting.
As a mom, I totally understand the overwhelming desire to protect your kids from every possible bad thing that could ever happen. But if you can't trust another person that you've met, interviewed, talked to references, had no criminal history and have dropped in to visit unexpectedly and observed how she was interacting with the kids (along with other relatives/neighbors), then you will NEVER trust that person. So what is that person doing in your home minding your kids?
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To the OP, if you decide on the camera, have a back up childcare plan in place so you don't have to miss work while searching for a replacement. And if you absolutely love the nanny you chose (and I can't imagine you choosing someone you didn't absolutely love), make sure that the camera is worth the loss of the nanny. Good nannies are hard to come by.
AND GO THRU AN AGENCY: Don't, whatever you do, hire a nanny based on a newspaper advertisement or online search. Real, professional nannies go through agencies. I wouldn't work for a family that wasn't first screened by an agency. And agencies take care of all the background/fingerprint checks and make sure to collect references that you can call.
Also, before you call agencies, have a friend or neighbor call the agency and ask for a nanny application. See what kind of information the agency is asking for. It should be more than a name, address & reference request. It should be a long detailed application asking questions about everything from views on discipline to expectations the nanny has of life in her employer's home. The more they want to know about the nanny, the better the agency. A good agency wants real CHILDCARE references that can be verified-not just personal references that a friend can give. A good nanny agency doesn't just send you a list of their latest applicants. They try to match a nanny who meets your expectations and can live comfortably with your lifestyle and rules.
AND, the agency should have a long history. You don't want a new agency who doesn't have a long history of placing nannies.
Expensive route? Yes. But if you're going to hire a nanny, hire a real nanny from a real agency. By taking the less expensive route to avoid agency fees, you really ARE putting your child in a potentially dangerous situation.
Nannies=professional employee
Babysitters=someone who likes kids and will mind your child while you work.
If want an actual nanny, hire a nanny-not a babysitter.
I'm in the DC metro area. I went through one agency for my first family (I stayed with them 5 years) and I went through another agency for my second family (I stayed with them 2 years). Both agencies have been in business forever and I would highly recommend them. If you pm me, I'd be glad to give you the agency names.