Baby Safety Zone - Babysitter Monitoring

Babysitter Monitoring

How Can You Monitor Your Babysitter?

We've all heard the babysitter horror stories out there. However, parents do need to go out once in a while to get a break, and that's where babysitters come in. Some parents trust their babysitters implicitly, while others feel the need to install a babysitter monitoring system into their home. A babysitter monitoring system could take the form of a recording device, or a CCTV camera. You may think that this is a bit extreme and an infringement of privacy; however, you are within your rights.

If you do install a monitoring system, you may even want to let your babysitter know. If your babysitter knows that he/she is being watched, they may think more carefully about their actions. If you do not want to offend you babysitter, you could explain that the system is a security measure. Or, you may just want to use a monitoring system to check out a new babysitter and then remove it when you have built up more trust in your babysitter.

Testimonial

We have received e-mails from various readers who agree and disagree with the use of monitoring systems. We want to share with you an e-mail from one reader who installed a monitoring device in her home.

Jackie--Houston, Texas

"I was so nervous about leaving our one-year-old with a babysitter that I decided to get my husband to install a CCTV camera. We hired a babysitter from down the street. Her name was Claire and she was 18. We knew her parents and hoped that she would call them if she wasn't sure about something. When we got home that night we paid her, sent her home and watched the footage. We were horrified when we saw that she had left our son crying for what seemed like an eternity. While she was chatting on her cell phone, our son was left crying for half an hour! Eventually our son stopped crying and went to sleep. Of course we never would have known that this had happened without the video footage. We never called her back and gave a more thorough interview and set of guidelines to find our next babysitter, who fortunately turned out to be wonderful."

When choosing safe child care, a monitoring system is not a bad idea. However, if you are not keen on the idea, just make sure that you get references from your babysitter and check out his/her background. When it comes to caring for your child, evaluating babysitters is your prerogative. Don't be afraid to set down some guidelines.

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