Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a childcare provider who’s willing to be on camera every minute of their workday, that’s called a corporate daycare center.

You are on camera 99.9% of your life. The entire world is covered in ring cameras and security cameras. A childcare provider that has an issue with cameras being in the house when there are children who cannot talk yet themselves being cared for by unrelated adults doesn't need to be a childcare provider.

What a lame attempt at a comeback. Is there a camera in your office (not the lobby, not the common areas — your personal workspace) pointed at you for every hour of your workday?

I’ll answer for you. No, there is not.

Anonymous wrote:so silly, first to get AP for young kids, and then worry if she can trust her.

Trust but verify. Companies hire people all the time, but verify they aren't doing anything they shouldn't be doing. Please.

so silly, first to get AP for young kids, and then worry if she can trust her.

An AP employer guy got arrested in Virginia when the au pair discovered a camera in her “private” bedroom.

She was so wise to take the camera STRAIGHT to her local POLICE Department.

Anonymous wrote:If you want a childcare provider who’s willing to be on camera every minute of their workday, that’s called a corporate daycare center.

You are on camera 99.9% of your life. The entire world is covered in ring cameras and security cameras. A childcare provider that has an issue with cameras being in the house when there are children who cannot talk yet themselves being cared for by unrelated adults doesn't need to be a childcare provider.

Anonymous wrote:Just make her aware you have cameras but if you’re so worried get a professional nanny not a young au pair with no experience. Especially for little ones.

I mean, they are CALLED "Nanny Cams" and not "Au Pair Cams". I would have them installed regardless of whether I hired a nanny or kept my au pair.

If you want a childcare provider who’s willing to be on camera every minute of their workday, that’s called a corporate daycare center.

*au pair, not Aussie!

You need to hire the right person. If you have cameras, the Aussie will just stay out all day. I don’t do anything wrong, but my job has cameras so we aren’t ever home.

You just have to trust your gut. A camera isn't going to capture everything and it won't build a good relationship between you and your au pair. Investing in that relationship will go so much further than any nanny cam will ever do...

Unless you need odd hours a Nanny doesn’t want to do I would get a Nanny too who has experience especially if your kids are very young. I think you just have to go with your gut though. And definitely have them start before you start work so you can get a feel for how they interact with your kids.

Just make her aware you have cameras but if you’re so worried get a professional nanny not a young au pair with no experience. Especially for little ones.

We have cameras. Put the fact that you have them in your host family profile. It's not uncommon.

Good luck with your transition to work/school! Rather than get a nanny cam, I would commit to doing a very thorough vetting of the AP including talking to her references. Ask detailed questions in your interviews to make sure you feel that their personality and approach to discipline is the right fit for your family. And if possible, try to have the AP start before you go back to school, so you can be there with her and observe how she interacts with the kids. Obviously it will be different when she knows you're there, but at least it's something concrete to go on.

I've been a sahm the last couple years and we are hiring an au pair so I can go back to work/grad school in the fall. How do you make sure people (ie this new stranger!) does what they're supposed to do and is kind to your kids when you're not around? Mine are young and cannot be reliable reporters. Trying to trust, but feeling nervous with all the horror stories on here.