Telling babysitter about our in-home security camera

bkjade · July 2016

DH and I have security cameras installed in two rooms of our apartment, the living room and our bedroom. We use the Nest system, so the one in our room doubles as baby monitor. We can see the entryway and what the dog is up to on the living room feed and can access the feed from our phone any time of day.

This weekend we have our babysitter coming over so we can go get a few drinks for DH's birthday sans baby. I have done a background check on her, checked her references, and she came over for a working interview while I did housework last week and was wonderful with Jet. I trust her, but am still glad that we have our cameras installed.

I think I should tell her we have them installed though, right? It would be kind of creepy to not tell her she's on camera?

-edit: Also, what is a not-creepy way to say hey there are cameras in here?

Pascal86 · July 2016

I know I would at least appreciate knowing I shouldn't be picking my nose all night if I was babysitting for you.

LadySamLady · July 2016

Could you show her how the "monitor" works? Just tell her you use nest as a monitor and she should pick up what you're putting down.

missnc77 · July 2016

I'd tell her. I wouldn't care, but if I found out down the road, I'd feel violated. Not because I was recorded, but because I didn't know I was being recorded. Knowing up front would probably lead me to ask more questions about what you find acceptable as well. For example, is it okay if I watch TV or text on my phone while she's napping?

lionstigersbears · July 2016

I'd explain how the "monitor" works, and maybe make a joke inspired by @Pascal86 such as...so as you can tell you'll be on camera too, so watch your nose picking

KyleeWaller · July 2016

I would personally prefer someone to be completely upfront. The more transparent you are, I think it is less likely she'll feel uncomfortable about it.

dsmith211 · July 2016

KyleeWaller said:

I would personally prefer someone to be completely upfront. The more transparent you are, I think it is less likely she'll feel uncomfortable about it.

This. We have cameras in our house to keep an eye on the dog during the day, but we've had a house sitter while on vacation before and made it well known ahead of time they were there. I know if it were me, I'd definitely be weirded out if I wasn't told ahead of time.

Bellodomani · July 2016

I totally agree with PP. I worked as a babysitter all throughout my teens and 20s and once while sitting for a family I had worked for for about 6 months, I opened a door in their basement and found a room with a bunch of security camera screens watching the inside and outside of the house. I was so creeped out by it that I just stopped returning their phone calls and never sat for them again (I was 16, probably should have just told them how creepy it was instead of avoiding them).

Kurrant · July 2016

Someone once said to me something like "If i tell the sitter about the camera then I can't catch her doing anything wrong" Well . . . Maybe if they know that there is a camera then they won't actually do anything wrong. I would feel weirded out if I found out later that I had a camera on me previously. I would rather know ahead of time.

dshannah · July 2016

Pascal86 said:

I know I would at least appreciate knowing I shouldn't be picking my nose all night if I was babysitting for you.

This is exactly what I was thinking!!!!

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