‘I thought someone broke in’: Mom hides live camera in sister's apartment to watch as sister babysits her kids, until sister finds it and refuses to babysit ever again

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Aug 7, 2026 5:00 PM EDT

Do you trust the people who watch your kids when you can't?

If your answer is 'no', then maybe you shouldn't let those people stay alone with your kids, or maybe you should work on yourself and understand what it is that makes it hard for you to trust others with babysitting.

Obviously, it can be easy to leave your child for the first time with someone else, even if that someone else is the child's grandparents or aunt. New parents feel like they can only trust themselves to properly take care of their child, and letting go of that control is not easy. But as you move forward, you realise just how much the phrase "it takes a village" is accurate, and just how important it is to lean on other people. And so the trust begins to build.

When your kids are 4 and 6 years old, you are expected to be comfortable leaving them with other people. They go to kindergarten, you go to work, and the world keeps on spinning. That is just another part of parenting.

The mom below had a similar arrangement with her sister. Mom works weekends, so her sister agreed to watch her niece and nephew every Saturday and Sunday to help the mom out. She didn't even take money for it. However, it seemed like Mom had a very serious issue with trusting her sister, because she decided to hide a live camera in her sister's house and watch whenever she wanted to "check on the kids". She didn't tell her sister anything about it.

Eventually, the sister found the camera and couldn't believe it when she discovered who put it there. She felt, understandably, completely violated and offended. It was a massive infringement on her privacy, especially since that camera was recording her 24/7, even when the kids weren't there. The fact that the mom refused to apologize led the sister to put a stop to the babysitting, at least until the mom sees the wrongs in her doing…

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  • 01
    Woman setting up a security camera.
    via Mariela Ferbo

    Woman setting up a security camera.

    Subject is a model.

  • 02

    Am I wrong for telling my sister I won't watch her kids anymore after I found a camera she hid in my apartment

    So my sister (34) has two kids, 4 and 6. She works weekends at a hospital so I (27f) watch them every saturday and most sundays.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 03
    This has been going on for about 8 months. I don't charge her anything, I actually like hanging out with my niece and nephew. We do crafts and stuff, its fine.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 04
    Last week I was moving my bookshelf to clean behind it and I found this small camera stuck to the back of a picture frame. Like one of those tiny
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 05
    wifi ones you can buy on amazon for like 30 bucks. I freaked out at first honestly because I live alone and my first thought was someone broke in. I almost called the police.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 06
    I texted my sister a picture of it and asked if she knew what it was. She called me and was like oh yeah I put that there a few months ago. Just casually. Like it was nothing.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 07
    She said she wanted to be able to check in on the kids while she was at work and see what they were doing.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 08
    I asked her why she didn't tell me and she said she "knew I'd make it a big deal." Which. Yeah. Because it is?? That camera has been recording my apartment for MONTHS.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 09
    Not just when the kids are there. I live there full time. I watch tv in my underwear on that couch. I have people over. She's had access to all of that.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 10
    Baby monitor over sleeping newborn.
    via Kateryna Hliznitsova

    Baby monitor over sleeping newborn.

    Subject is a model.

  • 11
    She says she only ever checked the feed when the kids were there and I told her I have no way of knowing that. She got defensive and
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 12
    said I was acting like she was some kind of creep when she's just a concerned mother. My mom is on her side saying I should
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 13
    understand because "she's a mom and moms worry" and that I'm blowing it out of proportion.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 14
    I told my sister I'm done babysitting until she apologizes and acknowledges that what she did was a violation of my
    via SatisfactionLocal937
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    privacy. She told me I'm being selfish and now she has to figure out childcare last minute. My brother
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 16
    thinks I'm right but won't say anything because he doesn't want drama.
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 17
    I feel like I'm going crazy. Like am I actually wrong here?? She put a camera in MY home without my knowledge or permission. Thats insane right
    via SatisfactionLocal937
  • 18
    dumplinglifesaver I wouldn't babysit ever again even with an apology. She's nts.
    via dumplinglifesaver
  • 19
    WestOffice3579 Your sister put a surveillance camera in your home. Thats not "being a concerned mom" thats literally a crime in most states.
    via WestOffice3579
  • 20
    throne-away Change your wifi password. If there was one, there might be others.
    via throne-away

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Tags

privacy babysitter kids siblings babysitting camera family sister mom home parents children apartment
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