Written by Brooke Strickland for Nannies Plus
A professional nanny has the important job of providing attentive care to kids in the absence of their parents or caregivers.
Taking pictures is one way for the family to stay tuned in on what is happening at home, what activities or outings are taking place, and generally seeing how their child is doing throughout the day. However, photos are a very personal thing and establishing some rules and guidelines with your nanny or family assistant regarding photos is important.
If you don’t like the idea of your nanny or family assistant taking photos while you’re gone, that’s okay! These are your kids and your house rules. To ensure everyone is clear, outline your rule of ‘no photography’ in your work agreement, from day one of employment.
However, if you do decide that photos are okay, keep some of these following tips in mind.
Institute an ‘ask first’ policy.
Discuss photo and video permission with your nanny or family assistant and your children. It may not be practical to have the nanny or family assistant ask you every time they want to take a photo or video, so discuss photos on a situational basis. For example, “Yes, you can take photos of the kids at the park or playing at home,” but “No, you cannot take photos of the children in the tub,” etc. Also, if the kids are old enough, have your nanny or family assistant ask them directly if it’s okay for them to take a photo or video. This is a great early foundation for the concept of consent.
Set a rule about posting on social media.
Taking photos to share with your family is one thing, but posting the photos on social media is completely different! Most of the time, your nanny or family assistant will assume that the photo should be kept private, but you should make it absolutely clear what your rules are around social media. If you are okay with social media posts containing photos of your child, it’s still a good idea to have your nanny or family ask permission before posting. In addition, find out where they will be sharing it and who will be seeing it. Make sure that the posts don’t pose any danger to you, your child, or your family.
Include a clause about photos and social media in your work agreement.
Your nanny or family assistant’s photo and social media use regarding your family is a topic that should be clearly outlined in your written work agreement. Having your rules in writing and signed by your nanny or family assistant means they understand and have agreed to them. If they violate that rule or choose not to abide by it, this could be cause for termination. If this is a deal breaker, it should be outlined in the work agreement as part of the termination clause.
Most parents are very protective of their children and their personal information. That’s why it is important to have clear ground rules about what’s okay and what’s not when it comes to photos and posting about your family online.
A good professional nanny values the safety and protection of your child and should understand and respect your privacy.
At Nannies Plus, we understand how important your children are to you. That’s why we work hard to place experienced, vetted nannies in homes around San Francisco, Marin, and the East Bay. If you’re looking for a nanny to join your family team this summer and beyond, let us help introduce you! Contact us today to get started.
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