Nanny questions - help?

[Anonymous]

I am trying to vet a nanny, and was given a list of questions to ask potential nannies. How would a nanny answer ( how do I know it's a good answer) to these questions below

- What do you like/dislike most about being a nanny?
- What are your strength/weaknesses?
- What do children ( our child is 4 months old) like about you?
- How does the baby or child benefit by having you as their nanny?
- What do you offer my family as a nanny?

I want to be prepared and know if the nanny is giving good answers. How would educated and experienced nannies answer these questions?

[Anonymous]

She just needs to have specific answers and stories, not a particular answer. You need to be able to tell that she likes and relates well to children, that she has ideas about what to do with them, and that she's enthusiastic about the job.

When we were hiring this last time, we had one candidate who basically repeated "whatever you would want for me to do" in answer to every question. You want a nanny who can tell you about what she does and how she does it.

[Anonymous]

You also need ask things like:
"What do you think are the most important qualities of a nanny?"

I was looking for someone who had specifics and NT just generic answers. Nannies who said that safety and health concerns were very important were good. Ones that mentioned washing their hands all the time and being on top of diaper changes. Ones that soda it was important to engage with the kids in developmentally appropriate okay and gave examples of that for different ages.
There are no right answers. There are some wrong ones like the pp said above. You are looking for someone who will be with your kid for 8 hrs a day. They have to either share your parenting philosophy or be amenable to care for your kid how you want them to but also have common sense. Just use the questions as the start of the conversation. You and your partner and the nanny are a team in caring for your child. Who do you want on your team?
I asked what the daily schedule for the nanny was with her previous charges. What they did. Etc.

[Anonymous]

I think those are stupid questions. You need to ask job specific questions.

What would you try to do if baby didnt stop crying
How long do you think its ok to leave a baby to cry before falling asleep
Describe a day you would spend with my child
How would you discipline a toddler/preschooler

Questions like that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think those are stupid questions. You need to ask job specific questions.

What would you try to do if baby didnt stop crying
How long do you think its ok to leave a baby to cry before falling asleep
Describe a day you would spend with my child
How would you discipline a toddler/preschooler

Questions like that

They're not stupid questions. I guess they are little more complex for you.

[Anonymous]

Also consider asking questions that relate to how you intend to parent. You're not necessarily looking for right or wrong (though that can be informative!) but you want the right fit for you.

You need to ask yourself (and your partner) where you stand on these questions first, so you can then evaluate the match w/ a prospective nanny. Think about the age of your child now, but also the ages through which you would hope to employ this nanny. So things like:

- what do you think of formula vs. breast feeding
- what is your idea of a good schedule for a 4 mth old (naps, feeding, playtime, etc...)
- when would you expect transitions to happen in sleeping patterns
- what is your opinion of sleep training methods
- have you potty trained a child and what approach do you think works best
- what kinds of discipline do you think are most effective, and at what ages
- do you think a 6 mth old/12 mth old/18 mth old benefits from scheduled activities like classes?
- what is your opinion of pacifiers, loveys, sleepsacks
- what is your opinion of store bought baby food versus homemade
- how do you prefer to handle guests in the home - grandparents, relatives, etc...
- what do you think is most important - maintaining a schedule, or letting a baby dictate the schedule/weaning/etc...
- what will you do if the baby starts choking when we start feeding solids
- what do you think are the best foods to start and when
- what is your opinion of testing/managing food allergies and vaccinations
- what are your favorite things about various ages
- what communication style do you prefer between parents and nanny


Etc... Really think about who you are, and who you think you will or want to be as parent(s) and hire to that.

- MB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to vet a nanny, and was given a list of questions to ask potential nannies. How would a nanny answer ( how do I know it's a good answer) to these questions below

- What do you like/dislike most about being a nanny? Make sure the answers are very specific & offer clarity. No genetic answers like "I love children!" But rather why they enjoy being around children?
- What are your strength/weaknesses? When the potential nanny lists her weaknesses, she should also list steps she is taking in order to overcome them.
- What do children ( our child is 4 months old) like about you? She should give specific examples to this question rather than say simply because she is fun, loving & energetic, etc. She should give a situation example for you.
- How does the baby or child benefit by having you as their nanny? This is the best question overall and any generic answers should be red flags.
- What do you offer my family as a nanny? Hopefully the answer to this will be something positive that the nanny feels very strongly about + is something unique about her that makes her stand apart from other nannies!

I want to be prepared and know if the nanny is giving good answers. How would educated and experienced nannies answer these questions?

I think these are actually very excellent questions OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to vet a nanny, and was given a list of questions to ask potential nannies. How would a nanny answer ( how do I know it's a good answer) to these questions below

- What do you like/dislike most about being a nanny?
- What are your strength/weaknesses?
- What do children ( our child is 4 months old) like about you?
- How does the baby or child benefit by having you as their nanny?
- What do you offer my family as a nanny?

I want to be prepared and know if the nanny is giving good answers. How would educated and experienced nannies answer these questions?

I think these are good questions, OP, but I would ask her in terms of her previous positions. How did your former charges benefit from having you as their nanny? It is so much easier to give specific examples. I would also expect any good nanny of a four-month-old to dislike being lonely and tired from narrating to a little one!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to vet a nanny, and was given a list of questions to ask potential nannies. How would a nanny answer ( how do I know it's a good answer) to these questions below

- 1) What do you like/dislike most about being a nanny?
- 2) What are your strength/weaknesses?
- 3) What do children ( our child is 4 months old) like about you?
- 4) How does the baby or child benefit by having you as their nanny?
- 5) What do you offer my family as a nanny?

I want to be prepared and know if the nanny is giving good answers. How would educated and experienced nannies answer these questions?

I'll give my answers but want to say that, while I think some general/broad questions can be helpful, more specific questions are more helpful/revealing.

1) I love kids, but I specifically like working with kids in an in-home setting because it allows me to impact their entire lives, not just their time with me. If I prepare a healthy dinner that you can eat as a family after I leave, or give you some helpful guidance on a tricky discipline or sleep issue, or schedule time to facetime with you on your lunch break, those are all things that impact the family as a whole, which has more impact on the child than just my time with him or her.

2) I would say that my big strength is that I am all about the kids. They are my number one priority and focus and I will be constantly evaluating how to serve them best. Weaknesses are that I work best in a job with lots of communication and that I am a little bit of a workaholic and don't always take the time I need to recharge. If I seem consistently quiet or self-critical, it is because I need space and perspective.

3) Kids of all ages know when they are loved. They love me because I love them.

4) I think every kid has different needs, so the ways they benefit will be different. I focus on teaching them to make wise choices, to understand, manage and express their emotions and to be empathetic and loving towards others. I think I am good at teaching those values and at making children feel safe and loved for who they are.

5) Again, every situation and family is different. my goal is to be a resource for you in being the type of family and raising the type of children that you want to. What are your goals for your kid 5 hears down the line? 20? 50?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to vet a nanny, and was given a list of questions to ask potential nannies. How would a nanny answer ( how do I know it's a good answer) to these questions below

- 1) What do you like/dislike most about being a nanny?
- 2) What are your strength/weaknesses?
- 3) What do children ( our child is 4 months old) like about you?
- 4) How does the baby or child benefit by having you as their nanny?
- 5) What do you offer my family as a nanny?

I want to be prepared and know if the nanny is giving good answers. How would educated and experienced nannies answer these questions?

I'll give my answers but want to say that, while I think some general/broad questions can be helpful, more specific questions are more helpful/revealing.

1) I love kids, but I specifically like working with kids in an in-home setting because it allows me to impact their entire lives, not just their time with me. If I prepare a healthy dinner that you can eat as a family after I leave, or give you some helpful guidance on a tricky discipline or sleep issue, or schedule time to facetime with you on your lunch break, those are all things that impact the family as a whole, which has more impact on the child than just my time with him or her.

2) I would say that my big strength is that I am all about the kids. They are my number one priority and focus and I will be constantly evaluating how to serve them best. Weaknesses are that I work best in a job with lots of communication and that I am a little bit of a workaholic and don't always take the time I need to recharge. If I seem consistently quiet or self-critical, it is because I need space and perspective.

3) Kids of all ages know when they are loved. They love me because I love them.

4) I think every kid has different needs, so the ways they benefit will be different. I focus on teaching them to make wise choices, to understand, manage and express their emotions and to be empathetic and loving towards others. I think I am good at teaching those values and at making children feel safe and loved for who they are.

5) Again, every situation and family is different. my goal is to be a resource for you in being the type of family and raising the type of children that you want to. What are your goals for your kid 5 hears down the line? 20? 50?

MB here. You sound like a wonderful nanny and I hope your NF treasures you.

Please stay true to your core beliefs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to vet a nanny, and was given a list of questions to ask potential nannies. How would a nanny answer ( how do I know it's a good answer) to these questions below

- 1) What do you like/dislike most about being a nanny?
- 2) What are your strength/weaknesses?
- 3) What do children ( our child is 4 months old) like about you?
- 4) How does the baby or child benefit by having you as their nanny?
- 5) What do you offer my family as a nanny?

I want to be prepared and know if the nanny is giving good answers. How would educated and experienced nannies answer these questions?

I'll give my answers but want to say that, while I think some general/broad questions can be helpful, more specific questions are more helpful/revealing.

1) I love kids, but I specifically like working with kids in an in-home setting because it allows me to impact their entire lives, not just their time with me. If I prepare a healthy dinner that you can eat as a family after I leave, or give you some helpful guidance on a tricky discipline or sleep issue, or schedule time to facetime with you on your lunch break, those are all things that impact the family as a whole, which has more impact on the child than just my time with him or her.

2) I would say that my big strength is that I am all about the kids. They are my number one priority and focus and I will be constantly evaluating how to serve them best. Weaknesses are that I work best in a job with lots of communication and that I am a little bit of a workaholic and don't always take the time I need to recharge. If I seem consistently quiet or self-critical, it is because I need space and perspective.

3) Kids of all ages know when they are loved. They love me because I love them.

4) I think every kid has different needs, so the ways they benefit will be different. I focus on teaching them to make wise choices, to understand, manage and express their emotions and to be empathetic and loving towards others. I think I am good at teaching those values and at making children feel safe and loved for who they are.

5) Again, every situation and family is different. my goal is to be a resource for you in being the type of family and raising the type of children that you want to. What are your goals for your kid 5 hears down the line? 20? 50?

I hate these answers and if you said these in person during our interview I would quickly cross you off the list.