Interviewing a nanny is an important part of the nanny hiring porcess. The first step in choosing a nanny is choosing a caregiver to call from a list of qualified people. Calling the nanny, gives you an opportunity to touch base and get a first impression of the person that you could potentially trust into your home and with your child. If the conversation on the phone is successful, families should schedule a face to face interview to determine if the caregiver is suitable for a position as their nanny.

1. General Interview Questions for a Nanny:

Why do you want to work with children? Describe your best childcare experience. Describe your worst experience in childcare. How do you handle stressful situations? What are your thoughts on discipline? What is the toughest element when working with children? Have you ever had to handle an emergency? What positive memories do you have of your childhood? How is your relationship with your family? How do you spend your free time? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? How do you think others would describe you? What role should outdoor play and interaction with other toddlers have in a child's day

2. Scenarios

Ask the nanny how they would handle several of these situations:

• How would you handle a temper tantrum in a public place?
• A baby has been crying for a longer than 30 minutes?
• You need to plan one activity for art and one educational activity
• What are some things that you would choose?
• A child needs help with homework or school projects
• The parents invited another child over to their house for a play date while you are in charge
• You are given negative feedback about something you are doing with the child, how would you handle the feedback?
• A child refuses to follow your instructions.
• The child broke a personal item of yours
• The parents are always late coming home
• A child has broken curfew and cursed you out when they walked into the house
• A child invited friends over without permission