We have all heard of stories where nannies were caught abusing the babies they were in charge of. The thought is truly horrifying that someone who had all the right qualifications on paper can abuse your child. Can your judgment be so wrong? Do not take the chance and get a nanny cam installed in your home. You should not take the safety of your child lightly.

There are many type of nanny cams available on the market and most are small and wireless so they can be tucked away without being noticed. Just place the camera in a discreet location within the recommended transmission signal range. Plug the receiver into your computer and it will lock onto the camera's transmission signal. Video is then recorded onto the hard drive of your computer. You can also set it up with software programs that enable you to watch the video live on the internet while you're at work. This will give you the peace of mind knowing what your caregiver is doing. As an added bonus, it keeps you in contact with the daily happenings of your child.

If the prospect of video taping the nanny conflicts with your sense of ethics, ask up front in the interview process if the prospective candidate would mind being monitored. It is important to note that federal law prohibits the recording of audio so your nanny cam will not be equipped to record sound. Caregiver surveillance is more common nowadays so the question is not all that out of the blue. In fact, a lot of daycare centers offer internet video streaming so parents can check in on their child from time to time.

At the other end of the spectrum of baby monitoring, is monitoring for the elderly. Despite the name "nanny cam", this type of video surveillance equipment is obviously not restricted to recording the babysitter! Elderly parents are at risk too if they live alone with no one to help should they accidentally fall and can't get to the phone. By installing a video streaming device at your parents home, you can also spot check your parents should they require assistance.

As you can see, video monitoring equipment is not such a controversial issue when it is used in the proper context. When protecting your loved ones, it's a great idea.