Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Nanny cameras have helped several parents catch abusive nannies.

By Todd Martin

The Hidden spy cam is becoming more and more popular everyday. That's because they are cheap, effective and easy to install. In this article I will explain what a nanny camera is and how you can use it to protect yourself and your family; after all you deserve to be safe. Simply put a nanny cam is a hidden video camera that has been secretly installed in a common object. Nanny cams are hidden cameras that are used by parents to monitor their children. These cameras are named so because they are used by parents to identify abusive nannies and babysitters.

Without a nanny cam in place, parents will probably never know for sure that their children are actually well taken care of by the nanny or babysitter hired for the purpose. Nanny cameras have helped several parents catch abusive nannies that otherwise would have continued to abuse or neglect their children. Nanny cameras are compact cameras that are concealable in household items like lamps, books, or even teddy bears. The teddy bear camera is one of the most popular spy cams as teddy bears are popular among kids.

You could also get a hidden camera in a teddy bear or alarm clock that shows color and is wireless for a few hundred dollars. Just place the camera in a discreet location within the recommended transmission signal range. Plug the receiver into your computer and it will lock onto the camera's transmission signal. Video is then recorded onto the hard drive of your computer. You can also set it up with software programs that enable you to watch the video live on the internet while you're at work. This will give you the peace of mind knowing what your caregiver is doing. As an added bonus, it keeps you in contact with the daily happenings of your child.

If the prospect of video taping the nanny conflicts with your sense of ethics, ask up front in the interview process if the prospective candidate would mind being monitored. It is important to note that federal law prohibits the recording of audio so your nanny cam will not be equipped to record sound. Caregiver surveillance is more common nowadays so the question is not all that out of the blue. In fact, a lot of daycare centers offer internet video streaming so parents can check in on their child from time to time.

While media stories have primarily focused on potential abuse and neglect being reasons why parents should consider using a nanny cam, some sitters have indicated a camera can provide a positive connection with the families while at work. Also, more and more daycare centers are installing cameras and even provide parents with the ability to spot check and watch their child while at work. Also spy videotaping with voice is not legal everywhere and the legal implications before installing any nanny cam must be considered. - 15478

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