What You Need to Know Before Buying a Nanny Cam

Experts estimate that around 60% of American families have a nanny.

Most of these are professional, caring people who have nothing in mind but the best interests of your children.

However, everyone has heard at least one horror story about a nanny who was neglectful or worse. To ensure your peace of mind when your kids are alone with the nanny, you should consider installing a nanny cam.

Read on as we explain everything you'll need to know about nanny cams before deciding to buy one.

What Is a Nanny Cam?

A nanny cam is a camera that you place somewhere in your home so as to monitor your child's caregiver. They come in a number of forms.

How Does a Nanny Cam Work?

Nanny cams work just like other cameras in that they record what's in front of them. However, they can also transmit this recording to a device so that you can see what's going on.

To achieve this, nanny cams often have WiFi connectivity. They use this to transmit their feed to your smartphone or laptop.

This kind of nanny cam has the advantage of allowing real-time observation of what's going on in your home. Therefore, if you notice that something's wrong, you can act immediately.

With more traditional options, you have to wait until you get home to view the camera feed. These nanny cams usually store recordings on a memory card which you can extract and insert into your laptop.

The Legality of Nanny Cams

Many people question whether using a nanny cam is acceptable from a legal standpoint. The answer is that it is legal, but not in every circumstance.

Generally, you are allowed to set up recording equipment in your home as long as it's for a valid reason, such as the protection of your children.

However, there are limits to what you can do with nanny cams. You can only put them in rooms that are not considered private for the nanny.

Therefore, you can put them in your kitchen, living area, or your child's bedroom. However, you cannot put them in a bathroom or your nanny's bedroom if your nanny lives in your house.

Other Uses for Nanny Cams

While the term "nanny cam" suggests that these devices are only used to observe the behavior of nannies, there is a range of other purposes that you can use them for. These are some of the most common.

Watching Your Kids

Even if you don't have a nanny, nanny cams can be used to make sure your kids are safe and happy.

If you have to leave older children unattended in the home regularly, a nanny cam might be a good investment for you. It can help you to ensure that they don't get into any danger while they're alone at home, as well as to make sure that they're doing their homework and chores!

Watching Your Pets

Even those of you who don't have children can benefit from using a nanny cam.

If you have to leave your pets alone in the house, it can be useful to have a nanny cam installed to make sure they don't become distressed in your absence.

Caring for an Infirm Relative

If a member of your family is in full-time care due to an injury, disability, or advanced years, you can use a nanny cam to ensure that they receive the proper care from the workers in their facility.

You should note, however, that the legality of this practice varies from state to state. Some states do not allow it, while others only allow it where you have the express consent of the room's occupier.

You will have to consult with a lawyer to learn more about the precise rules in your state.

Things to Consider When Buying a Nanny Cam

Not all nanny cams are the same. If you're in the market for one, you should consider which features you'd like yours to have.

WiFi Connectivity

As we noted above, if you want to have a real-time viewing window into your home, you're going to need a nanny cam that's equipped with WiFi connectivity. These may be slightly more expensive than cameras without this feature, but they are widely available nowadays.

Resolution

Like every other camera, nanny cams come with different levels of picture quality. If you need high-definition picture and sound, make sure you get a higher-quality camera.

Motion Detection

This feature is particularly useful if you don't feel like trawling through hours of footage or periodically checking your phone to detect wrongdoing. Modern nanny cams can sense motion, and can send a notification to your phone or laptop when something moves in front of them.

Two-Way Communication

If you'd like to have a line of communication between yourself and either your nanny or your child, you can get nanny cams that have two-way communication functionality.

Secrecy

Many nanny cam users would prefer their surveillance to remain a secret. This may be so that their nanny does not feel uncomfortable, or so that parents can get an idea of the behavior of a nanny who doesn't realize they're being watched.

If you'd like your nanny cam to remain a secret, you can purchase one that comes concealed in various ways. We stock nanny cams with a variety of enclosures, including smoke detectors, docking stations, and alarm clocks.

Caring for Your Children & Securing Peace of Mind

Nothing is more important to parents than ensuring that their children are safe and happy at all times. If you employ a nanny, the easiest way to do this may be to install a nanny cam.

If you want to know more about our nanny cams, or anything else we have in stock, contact us today.