Trust your intuition and your children's instincts. Children are highly perceptive and often know instinctively who is going to gel with them. It's important that they have some input in the decision making process - after all, they are the reason you are hiring a nanny in the first place! If they are old enough, get them to prepare their own questions. Ask open-ended questions when interviewing and checking references.
How long have you been a nanny?
What are the children ages that you worked with?
Describe your last childcare experience and why it ended?
What do you find to be the most interesting part of working with children?
Tell me about your childhood and your current relationship with your family?
For infants
How do you think your family and friends would describe you and how did you feel?
What activities did you routinely engage in when you last cared for a baby or toddler?
What was your worst experience in childcare and how did you resolve it?
What do you do in your free time?
If the baby is crying how do you figure out the cause of it?
What is your most satisfying experience with children?
For 2 to 4 year olds, consider the following questions
How might you spend the day with my child?
Do you think your childhood helped you to become a good nanny?
How have you approached toilet training in the past? How did it work out?
What role should outdoor play and interaction with other toddlers have in a child’s day?
What types of educational activities did you routinely engage in when you last cared for a child this age?
What indoor activities would you engage a child this age in? Describe how you interact in these activates?
For 4 and up year olds, consider the following questions:
What are your daily activities with 4-5 year olds?
What activities do you perform to develop the child socially, academically, and personally?
What kind activities do you engage child during outdoor play?
Are you willing to supervise playtime with other children? |
