There comes a point in time where almost every parent is going to have to leave their child with a babysitter or nanny, and there’s no doubt that isn’t always easy. No matter how much you vet a potential caregiver, you’re still leaving your child with a virtual stranger, but thanks to a new app there’s a way to go out and still keep an eye on your little bundle of joy.
In case you missed it, Manhattan mom Diana Toyberman is set to launch a new app next month called Stroller Patrol, which gives parents the ability to track their nannies and keep an eye on their behavior via their cellphones.
While this may seem invasive, the parents and childcare providers both need to sign up for the app so it’s not like the nanny doesn’t know what they’re getting into. Once signed up, the nanny and/or babysitter uploads pictures of themselves, which will allow any other Stroller Patrol users to identify them, and if they’re behavior is suspect, any stranger on the app can confidentially send a message to the parents.
Some parents think the app is a great idea, and are ready to sign up once it officially launches in January, but others have labeled it creepy. “Parents are being paranoid,” Hassanatou Barry, founder of the Babysitter Guru support service, says, adding it will cause “fear and mistrust” between parents and their nannies.