If you have heard anything so far
that you really don’t like, and you know that you don’t want to hire the nanny,
thank her for her time, and conclude the interview.
However, if you do like the
nanny well enough in the interview, you may want to take the next step and show
her around the house so that she can see the layout of the job as well as the
child’s room and what kind of toys he or she has and whether he or she is in a
bed or a crib or in between the two, if he or she is in diapers or potty
training or toilet-trained, etc.
At this point, this is a good time to show the
nanny the master bedroom, but explain that this room is off-limits, and you
really don’t want her and the child in there when you are not home.
Better to
say it up front so it doesn’t feel like a rejection or a personal affront when
it comes later.
You may want to introduce the nanny
candidate to your child at this point if you have decided to include the child
in this part of the nanny hiring process. If you do, you can bring the nanny
into the room where the child is – don’t bring the nanny into the bedroom if
the child is just waking up from a nap. Let the child be fully lucid before
meeting a new potential nanny. Wake the child up yourself, and bring him or her
into the living room or den where the nanny is waiting.
Tell the child that Eleanor is a
nanny who’d like to come here and play with you some days, but so far you’re
all just meeting each other. Eleanor was nice enough to stop by today to say
hello. Can we show her your toys?
Understand that this is a pressure situation for the nanny
to “perform” and if you just leave the two of them there to interact, it will
be an awkward and unrealistic test of their dynamic. A good way to do this is
to have an activity that all three of you are involved in – whether it’s making
a salad or coloring on paper or playing with a pet. The three of you should
interact so that the child sees that you are okay with this new nanny
