If you've recently hired a baby sitter, or if you're thinking about it, this is what my wife and I learned from the process: When all is said and done, after all the resumes have been read and all the interviews have been conducted, and even after the final reference has been spoken to for the second time, the person you hire is still a total stranger who will be left alone in your home with your child.

A Web-based Nanny Cam (or Home Cam as I prefer to call them) costs about the same - including installation and instruction - as a good digital camcorder, but it is a tool that will provide you with true peace of mind on a daily basis for many years to come. The reason I call them Home Cams is that for every negative experience you might have there will be a thousand positive experiences. The issue is not "What's that Nanny up to?" but "Gee, I wonder what's going on at home?" Instead of picking up the phone you go on line - it's called remote supervision.

Are Nanny Cams ethical? "Ethics, schmethics" was my response in a Newsday article. Frankly, I fail to comprehend why nannies and baby sitters, whose job it is to safeguard and nurture that which is most precious to parents, should be exempt from supervision; no one else is. This is not about spying on the nanny, it's about the well-being and safety of your child. Period.

As a parent I can tell you there is nothing more reassuring (and often entertaining) than dropping in whenever I want, from anywhere in the world, to see and hear my child. Also on the positive side, it's quite likely that great moments will be recorded in your absense ("Look! She took her first steps"), and it is easy to grant camera access to relatives and friends who live in other cities or countries ("Hi, Granny!").

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