As a parent, our primary role is to protect our children, but for many of us it's not possible to keep a watch on them 24 hours a day. When leaving for work in the morning it's natural to experience some anxiety when leaving our children with another person. This may be the nanny, a babysitter, or even a family friend. To help ease that anxiety of leaving children under the care of someone else, many parents are choosing to install a "Nanny Cam" to keep an eye on how the caregiver is behaving with their children. Unless you're intimately familiar with the person who will be caring for your children while you're at work, finding someone you can entrust your children to and feel good about is your first concern.  Remember, people have a tendency to present themselves one way in your presence, and then act differently when you're gone.  Ask yourself these questions:

1.       Is the babysitter or nanny the only one around your child when you leave?  Do their friends or boyfriends enter your home after you've gone?

2.       Have any of your personal items gone missing without explanation?  Jewelry and cash are the usual targets.

3.       Is your nanny or caregiver watching TV and talking on the phone all day?  Is your child being neglected?

4.       Does your nanny or babysitter have a drug or alcohol abuse problem?

5.       Worse of all, are they abusing your child?  Verbal and physical abuse of children happens every day in this country.

Why a Nanny Cam?

Recently, there have been a lot of cases of abuse from caregivers that have gained media attention.  While it's not advised to believe that all nannies have the potential to mistreat children, it is still a problem that should cause some concern.  While many potentially abusive nannies can be screened out during the proper interview process, it can still be difficult to know when you're choosing a nanny that is truly dedicated to keeping your children safe.

For a concerned parent, a Nanny Cam can help you gain insight in how your nanny is interacting with your children while you're away.  It can either provide you with peace of mind, or allow you to identify a potentially dangerous situation for your children.

What kind of Nanny Camera should I get?

Basically,  a “Nanny Cam” is a hidden camera that you install in a non-visible location inside your home.  This camera may be hidden in a potted plant, a stuffed animal, a desk lamp, or other household object.  The primary purpose of the camera is to allow you to see how a caregiver interacts with your children when you're not around.  The two main types of cameras are wired and wireless.  As the name implies, wired cameras are direct connected to a PC or some other kind of recording device, like a VCR.  This is the most economical option, but concealing the cable can sometimes be a bit of a problem, especially if you're running it for several feet.  A wireless camera solves that problem by eliminating the cable, and all come with a 2.4 GHz receiver which connects to the PC or recorder.  Signal strength is around 300 feet.  With either camera you would press “record” before leaving in the morning and “stop” when you return.  You then open the video file you've created and fast forward until something catches your attention.  Depending on how many hours you've recorded, this can be very time consuming.

Motion Activated Nanny Cam

Using a motion activated nanny cam is a bit better option.  Whenever motion is detected within its sensing range, the camera comes on to trigger the recording device (PC, VCR, DVD) to start recording.  When motion stops, it automatically resets itself to standby again to await the next movement.  This makes the viewing of the captured video much easier.

The StealthCam Option

The StealthCam systems are the next step up in hidden cameras.  They feature the camera and the digital video recorder in one self-contained unit.  They also have an “adjustable” motion activated recording system built in, so basically all you need to do is plug it in, turn it on with the included IR remote control, and you're good to go.

The StealthCam system records onto an SD memory card, which can be found everywhere.  All of today's digital cameras use SD cards.  The StealthCam systems can support up to 32GB, which is inserted into a hidden slot somewhere on the camera.

The StealthCam systems can either record full motion video (30fps) or take snapshot pictures every 3 seconds while motion is detected.  Video is best, although it consumes roughly 1GB for every 2.5 hours of video.  StealthCam nanny cams can be found in everything, from clocks and radios to stuff bears and picture frames.  To see what the camera has captured, either remove the SD card and pop into your PC or card reader, or connect the included USB cable right from the camera to your computer. 

A StealthCam system with built-in DVR (SD card) is the most popular nanny cam on the market.  Although they have typically cost more than wired or wireless cameras, the prices continue to fall.  The technology has also improved, to where now you can get a simple working pen or wristwatch with the same built-in recording ability for just over $100.  In fact, with a StealthCam system being disguised into so  many common everyday household products, you could afford to place a motion activated nanny cam into two or three rooms of your house.