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[quote=Anonymous]When asking about chores / cooking add a couple of questions about dietary restrictions / food preferences. 
If your AP says she is vegetarian ask how "vegetarian" she is (I have just come back from a business trip with two "vegetarians" - both ate fish, one ate chicken...).
If you have pets, ask about that. If you are planning to get a pet eventually, ask about allergies.
Don't forget to ask about allergies / food intolerances in general.
Is she religious? Does she want to go to church? Is there a church of her denomination where you are and if not, would this be a problem for her?

Does she play an instrument?
Sports?
Is she artistic?

Is there anything special you think an AP would need to be a good match for your family?
If so, ask.
Do you have guns in the house? If yes, ask her if she has ever been around guns. Guns in the home is something some APs have problems with.
Do you have nanny cams? Is this a problem for her?
Do you work from home? How does she think this would influence her work with the kids? How would she keep the kids away from you if you can't be disturbed?
Will you need an erratic schedule with constantly changing hours? Or do you need her to work late in the evenings? How does she think she would handle all her friends being out together and she couldn't join them because she was working?
Do you want her to help your kids with homework? Is there an area your kids need support in? Is she comfortable helping with middle school maths?
How unique is your "unique situation"? And will this have an influence on your AP's time with you? (new baby? move? illness in the family?)

Make sure to ask open questions that cannot simply be answered with yes or no. The more you get her to talk, the easier it will be for you to judge her English and her personality.

I think any question about how an AP would handle something in the US is difficult if AP has never been there.
"What's an example of a meal you might feed my kids for breakfast/lunch/dinner?" - in principal is a good and valid question but what AP might feed your kids from her non-US point of view might widely differ from what you would want your kids to have. Foods differ. When large meals are eaten differs (in some countries lunch is the main meal while in others it's dinner). You might want your kids to eat oatmeal / cereal in the morning while a German AP might answer "bread and cheese." Maybe "When caring for children, do you cook for them? What kind of food do you usually prepare for them?".

If you aks a "What would you do if..." question and are not satisfied with the answer because it's not what you would do, see what happens if you share your point of view. She says A, you want X. Tell her how you would handle the situation and ask her if she understands why you think X would be the better way with your kids (or in the US). Have her explain to you why she said A and why she thinks you want X. Same for disciplining misbehaving children. How she currently disciplines / handles misbehaving children is based on the norms of her home country and what the families she works for want her to do. If her answer does not reflect what you do, tell her and ask her why she thinks you do it the way you do.[/quote]

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