Protecting Your Child's Online Privacy: 3 Crucial Things To Discuss With Babysitters

Have you discussed your child's online privacy with your babysitter? Did you ever come across the babysitter's online profile only to find a video of your 2-year-old's crazy antics on her wall?

In this social media age, when sharing photos or videos is a regular activity, it might be unnerving to find other people, apart from your own family, accessing and sharing your child's profile and information to their own network. If you're not comfortable with this, it would be good to initiate a talk with the babysitter. Below are three ways:

1. Complete Prohibition Of Photo, Video-Taking And Social Media

Insist on completely barring your babysitter from taking photos and videos of your child and carefully explain why this matters to your family's online privacy. In some cases, it might be necessary to ask that the babysitter doesn't access her social media while she's on the job and even if she's not posting anything about the kids.

She could just be posting photos of the trees in the park where your child is playing, but social media posts have geolocations. "Anyone who sees the photos or clicks the status update can find where you are at that moment," SeekingSitters president Adrienne Kallweit stated.

There are also some apps that have social functions, which immediately send auto-shares and updates in communities. While these might be harmless apps, such as a photo-editing app or gaming app, it's better to be safe than sorry.

TIP: Use your words and tell your babysitter what your rules are about social media use with your kids! :)

— SOS sitter (@SOSsitter) May 13, 2013

2. Allowing Smartphone Use But Set Ground Rules

If barring smartphone use is not an option, then you and the babysitter can agree to certain ground rules. Some examples include:

- Allowing photos and videos of the children, but only to show or share with you and never online.
- Allowing photos and videos online or on social media, but without mentioning the children or family's names.
- Allowing photos and videos online, but without tagging people or location.
- Allowing only certain photos and videos for sharing. For instance, keep photos of the kids playing in the bathtub off the internet.

Babysitter is sending me photos of kids having a blast. They are having more fun than I am. Challenge... accepted!

— Snap: missstaceyvee (@MissStaceyVee) February 1, 2014

3. Asking To Connect With Your Babysitter On Social Media

Being friends with your babysitter on social media is a way to keep tabs about her following your rules. However, this is also a way for her to send you updates on her activities with the kids. Many moms actually prefer this.

There is a downside to this, though, as you're likely to get an update about the other aspects of the life of your babysitter. Would you mind knowing her political or religious stance, her favorite movies and food, or when she was out with her friends that weekend? So, consider this properly before asking to connect.

It's always a good sign when the babysitter likes your date photos on Instagram. The kids are still alive. And uneventful.

— Rachel Callahan (@ObjectivityRach) October 2, 2013