Nanny Cams. A Toy for the Voyeur, or a Necessity for Every Parent?
 by: Steven Rubin


John and Melissa were enjoying their dinner at a local restaurant. It was the first time in six months that they had gone anywhere without their newborn baby.

Melissa spoke up, "I hope we did the right thing, leaving our baby alone with the new nanny". In a calm voice John replied, "Honey, it's been a long sleepless six months. We deserve this night out. And besides, I'm sure our nanny is qualified to take care of our little girl for one night".

"You're right" Melissa said, "let's just enjoy this dinner". But a few moments later Melissa's cell phone rang; in a panicked voice Melissa said to John "WE HAVE TO GO NOW! SOMETHING’S HAPPENED TO OUR BABY! Without hesitation, they flagged down the waiter, paid their bill and headed for home as fast as they could.

When they arrived home, their nanny explained that the baby had rolled off the couch and hit her head on an end table. “She seemed O.K. but I called the doctor anyway,” said the nanny. “He’s on his way over here right now”.

With suspicion running through her mind, and not knowing what to believe, Melissa immediately went to her bedroom and turned on the monitor to her DVR (Digital Video Recorder). Weeks earlier, Melissa had purchased a hidden nanny cam disguised as a teddy bear, after hearing a story in the news about an abusive babysitter. In a few seconds she had her answer, the baby did just roll off the couch. That didn’t make it ok, but Melissa wanted to trust her new nanny and now she felt a little more certain that she could.

It is always difficult for a parent to turn over the care of a child to someone else, and every parent who does so has concerns. Hidden cameras are one way of alleviating some of that worry.

Nanny Cams are just another name for hidden cameras. They are usually disguised as part of the décor in a room. These days, technology allows us to create cameras that are small enough to fit into many everyday items, such as stuffed animals, flowerpots, and even kitchen appliances.

Nanny cams have become very popular in recent years for good reason. With the rise in domestic violence against children, you don’t have to be paranoid to want to keep an eye on things while you’re away. There have been many news stories centered on hidden cameras that have recorded a caregiver in the act of abusing a child.

Nanny cams are not only small and discreet, but they are also becoming more affordable than ever before, so you can purchase more than one to maintain surveillance in multiple rooms of your home.

With a DVR (Digital Video Recording) system, you’ll be able to monitor and record all of your hidden cameras from one central location.

Experts say it is generally legal to use a hidden camera that records video without the consent of the nanny. However, the laws vary from state to state on whether you can record audio. Before taping conversation without consent from your nanny, check the laws in your state.

To protect your nanny’s privacy, and to make the best use of your nanny cams, only place hidden cameras where she will be interacting with your child. Never place nanny cams in bathrooms or private bedrooms. This would be considered as voyeurism and in most states you could be charged with of invasion of privacy.

Nanny cams have many uses other than just monitoring nannies or caregivers.

Nanny cams can also be used for watching over your child while they are sleeping, monitoring them while they are playing alone or monitoring your older teenager while they are home alone with friends.

Hidden cameras have also been used to catch cheating spouses in the act, and they are very popular with private investigators and law enforcement agencies that use them for covert operations.

Even if you do not suspect any type of abuse or misconduct from your child, nanny or spouse, the peace of mind in knowing there is not a problem is well worth the cost of the camera.

About The Author
Steven Rubin is the owner of North American Security Products, LLC. A company dedicated to providing you with the means to protect and defend yourself against crime.

For more information on Hidden Cameras, visit http://www.nasecurityproducts.com where you’ll find a complete line of surveillance equipment for your home and business.

Copyright: 2006