Nanny Interview Questions

Some families are lucky enough to hire nannies that stay for years and do become like a part of the family. Others, for a myriad of reason from luck, to changing needs on the parts of the family and/or the nanny (and her own family), end up being a revolving door for childcare.

It is hard for most parents not to judge, but the truth is, there is no right or wrong situation. It is surely easier to have one long term nanny, and there can be more challenges with transitions and inconsistency when there are “serial nannies,” but things could surely be worse!

Documents That You Should Ask To See:

Driver’s License and car insurance

Vaccination record and health report from a doctor.

If you want to run a credit check or a Megan’s Law check for convicted sexual offenders you will need to get a social security number and/or a driver’s license number at this time.

Questions you should ask the nanny in the interview:

Have you ever been arrested? If so, what for and when?
Have you ever had a car accident? (Only if driving your child is involved in the job.)
How do you discipline children?
What do you do if a child in your care won’t eat lunch, leave the park with you, put away his or her toys when told to, or other things?
How is your health, in general? How many sick days do you usually need? In addition, you should ask if the nanny has herpes. While many people consider this an embarrassing and private question, the fact is that the herpes virus is contagious, and your child can catch it from a caregiver who has exposed lesions during the course of the virus. Likewise, you need to tell your nanny if the child has herpes, because the adult can also become infected. While it is rare, it is possible for a nanny to transmit oral herpes to a baby’s genital area if she brushes her hand against the sores and then changes a baby’s diaper and transmits the virus via her hand. Believe me, as awkward as this question may be for discussion, avoiding the actual problem is much more important and worth any discomfort anyone has.
Do you take medication, and if so, what? This is partly a personal question, but if someone is working in your home, you should know if they are diabetic, on some kind of medication (any kind of medication) in case of emergencies.
Is there any history of violence or child abuse in your family or in the families that you’ve worked for and with?
What is the worst thing that ever happened while a child was in your care?
Did you ever have any emergencies with children – what are they and how were they handled?
What kind of job are you looking for?
How long do you want to stay in the job?
Do you have children, and if so, how old are they? Who takes care of them when you are working? What happens if they get sick and have to stay home from school?
Do you do housework while you are here? If so, what are you comfortable doing?
Is there anything you do not want to do during your job? Are there things you really look forward to doing?
Are you enough of a morning person – if the job requires early hours – to get here on time? How do you feel about staying late?
Language. If your nanny is from another country and English is not her first language, decide if you want her to speak Spanish – or whatever language is her native language – to your child, or if you just want English spoken in the house. There is no right or wrong answer. You just have to be clear.