Secret Camera

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   Lady_Eposted 14 years ago

   Is it right to leave a secret camera filming a Baby Sitter, to monitor if a child is being looked after properly?

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      AEvansposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, there is to much abuse and to many adults molesting, raping and beating them. As a parent I certainly would.

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      misty_seltzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It is never wrong to take steps to ensure your child's safety. There are some sick and twisted people out there and you need to know what is going on when you aren't home!!! Parent need to take every step they can to keep their kids safe!

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         misty_seltzposted 14 years agoin reply to this

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2. 60

   katachamposted 14 years ago

   Hmm...thats quite an interesting question, i think. One can look at this from two angles, the first being that since you are paying for the babysitter and are therefore enlisting his/her trust, a secret camera should not be needed. However, one could also argue that as an employer, you have a right to find out whether your employee is doing an acceptable job. I would personally go with the camera if you're worried, simply because this is a child we're talking about, not a pile of timber or something. However, you run the risk of getting found out - then you could lose a good babysitter. Hope this helps.

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3. 73

   Maddie Ruudposted 14 years ago

   If what you're really concerned about is keeping your child safe, and not just catching a bad babysitter, why not just tell 'em upfront you have hidden cameras in the house, whether or not it's true?  If the babysitter doesn't want you watching, he or she won't take the job.  If s/he doesn't mind, you've got naught to worry about.

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      Davinagirl3posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This is exactly what I was going to write.  You read my mind.  Also, if you are not too sure about the babysitter, don't entrust your child with them.  I would only leave my child with my mom. I am very paranoid, though.

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         goodfriendiamposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Good idea, good thinking. all good minds think alike...lol

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            Mishaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            I am joining this choir.
            
            That said, we did have a babysitter till like a few month ago, and she was just a part of the family. She had to move back to her country, and this was like parting with a sister. We still are friends, and talk on a webcam a lot. We did not feel any need to install a camera, and it really would have been an offense to her.
            
            Now, that said, we screened like a total of 50 candidates, and tried two before we finally hired her.

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               Genniferposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               Completely agree with all these responses. I think that for parents it's important and necessary to know that their child is looked after in a proper way, and all the ways are good to be sure that you've found a good baby sitter (but you certainly have to tell your baby sitter about cameras - it would be fair).

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   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   I agree that there's no reason to keep it a secret.  I don't think there's anything wrong with a parent doing everything she can to assure her child's safety.  I'd tell a babysitter, "Even if I can't be here I do want to be able to see how things are going.  The camera can also protect you.  If anything should go wrong you won't have to worry about being unfairly accused of anything."
   
   All it takes is one babysitter who loses patience with a crying baby and feels free to shake him (as in the Mathew Eappen case a little over a decade ago), and a child can end up in a coma or dead.   A sensible babysitter would more than understand.  (There are cameras in all kinds of workplaces.  I don't see why a babysitting situation should be any different.)

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   mtsi1098posted 14 years ago

   if you are not comfortable with a baby sitter than do not leave your child at all in their custody and therefore filming will not be necessary...find someone you trust so you do not have to worry about it

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      Lisa HWposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The trouble with trusting trust is that most people believe they're leaving their children with someone they trust - until that person proves themselves not trustworthy.  It's a rare parent who would leave their child with someone they didn't trust, and yet how many horror stories keep happening anyway?

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         mtsi1098posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         i understand but there is a difference between thinking you trust someone and feeling a trust for someone.  If we all acted on our feeling of trust then we have our answer on a babysitter

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   ledefensetechposted 14 years ago

   Yes, leaving several cameras is a good idea.  Living room, kitchen, kids room pointing out into the hallway are the biggies.  Also if you notice things missing, you may want to look into diversion safes or something like that.  I'd not broadcast the fact that you have the cameras, that way you can see how your babysitter handles responsibility "naturally".

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   blondepoetposted 14 years ago

   Hell yes!!!!!
   I mean a babysitter would not be doing anything personal to invade their privacy anyway, so I would certainly want to see, if a child was involved. Hidden cameras have revealed some alarming footage in the past.

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   lrohnerposted 14 years ago

   Two of my daughters have worked in the childcare field (academic, private and daycare settings) forever, and both are planning on becoming teachers. They have quit many, many daycare centers after seeing some pretty troubling stuff go on and not getting any response from the management.
   
   That said, even if I knew my babysitter and unless they were my mother, grandmother or sister, I would absolutely be filming every single second that babysitter was alone with my child. Matter of fact, good thing my babies are grown because I would probably have a live webcam in every room in the house so I could look in on them whenever I wanted to (as many daycare centers now do).

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      Lisa HWposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      When my daughter was little she wanted to go school really badly and wasn't old enough.  I went around to daycare/preschool places to see if any would be right to let her "go to school" a couple of days a week.  I wasn't too thrilled with some of them.  In one place that "talked up a good story" I was in the hall, just outside the room where toddlers napped.  The young worker in that room was not being the least bit nice to those one- and two-year-olds who wouldn't conveniently "just lay down".  They were essentially being verbally mistreated.  That's easy to get away with when toddlers can't talk.

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