Social Media and the Nanny

Should a nanny be updating her facebook status while on the job? Should a mom worry about this?

So on this mom's chat board there is some chatter from a mom who is friends with her nanny on facebook. The mom logged on and found that the nanny updated her status during her work hours. She also noted that it was not particularly in a time when the child was at school or taking a nap. She wanted to know if she should be concerned.

What do you think??
Personally, I think that an update to facebook here and there is not the end of the world. Many people update via cell phone or other device so it doesn't even mean that the nanny was spending time on the computer. Nannies are with children all day and often crave the interaction of a "coworker" so some interaction on sites like twitter and facebook can help fill the void.

That being said, there may be a problem if the nanny is posting things all day long. A nannies first responsibility is to the children he or she cares for. Spending some time on the computer while a child naps seems reasonable, constantly checking facebook all day while the kids play by themselves is not.

Like many situations facing nannies and employers this one is best solved individually. As a parent consider these questions-

• Are my kids in school or napping for parts of the day? This is a good time for the nanny to have a break and use the computer. 
• Is my nanny posting things about my family? This is cause for concern unless you are ok with it. 
• Am I ok with the nanny multi tasking? Watching the kids on the playground while texting a quick update? Tweeting while pushing a stroller? 
• Does the amount of time spent on social media seem to be excessive? There is a big difference between an occasional update and an addiction. 
• Am I happy with the quality of care my nanny provides? If things are going well and you are happy then great, but if you have other concerns and this is one more red flag there may be bigger issues. 

Nannies ask yourselves these questions- 

• Am I respecting the privacy of the family? Are you posting complaints about your job or personal information?
• Are you sure that while you are using social media that the kids are still priority number one? 
• Are you posting things you would not want your employer to see or posting often enough you don't want your employer to know? 

It seems to me the bottom line is that these things can be great if used wisely and when all parties are in agreement. Just yesterday a twitter friend of mine shared a great link to a baby owl's nest web cam to share with the kids. A great resource!! But if you as a parent are concerned, talk to your nanny. Share your concerns and ask your nanny some questions. Work together to make sure that everyone is happy with your family's policies.