My husband is an active duty Navy pilot at NAS Oceana, VA. He is leaving in September for cruise and we just got here less than a month ago. Not to mention, we have 12 animals that we towed all the way here (We are originally from California). We have been seeking a part time live in nanny and have not had a lot of luck recently. If any thing we have already had one bad experience (using another website though)!

I am going to do a first interview with another young lady tomorrow at a local Starbucks and am a little hesitant since this is my second go around. Our first nanny just couldn't keep up with us, could not do what was requested of her in her contract, had no personal hygiene (except the days we interviewed her), was not clean, and was not good at communicating. Then when we let her go, her dad got involved and refused to come get her and tried to tell us we had to keep her! Wow, right!? So needless to say, I am a little scared to start this process over.

What questions have you asked any of your sitters or nannies in interviews? anything military specific? I am looking for some really in depth, interesting questions. Not necessarily straight forward questions any employer would ask an prospective employee (which seems to be all I can find). Any suggestions?

Hi Jodi,

I am also active duty Navy and I am stationed in Youngstown OH! I know right, really Youngstown..lol.. I dont have family near here and I was able to use this website and find a reliable childcare sitter for my 2 young kids. I only need her one weekend a month. Before I even started looking I set my preferences, good with pets, no smoking, age, cpr qualified, etc. That really helped me narrow down the search. I tried not to make it like an interview because I wanted her to be as comfortable with me as possible. I wanted her to be relaxed because I had to be comfortable with her staying with my kids while I was gone. I asked a few family questions like: any siblings, where they live, mode of transportation, how long they have had there drivers license, how long has they been in the childcare profession. I also give a little military background about myself and how we have arrived in that area. Though most of the information is on the internet profile I asked all those same things again. I also had my kids with me, I wanted to see how she handled them and reacted around kids. I hope I was helpful and good luck! I hope you find the right Nanny for you and your kids!

Ebony

Hi Jodi -

Although I'm not a military spouse/parent, I do have lots of experience as a child care provider and working with parents whose children who are in child care in one form or another. You're very wise to think ahead about the questions you want to ask during the interview - so, first off, good for you!

One of the most effective ways for you to evaluate a potential child care provider is to lay out several scenarios and ask her what she would do. The scenarios should be specific situations that are possible (they really could happen with your child/children), that would require action on her part, and that you have a pretty strong opinion about how you would want her to respond. Let me give you an example...

I don't know how many kids you have or what their ages are but let's say you had a toddler, Emma, and a four year old, Katie. You give her a scenario like this: "The two girls are playing together. Emma grabs the doll that Katie is playing with. Katie grabs it back and Emma bites her on the leg. What would you do?" The interviewee's response will tell you a LOT in a fairly short amount of time!

I would suggest that you come up with several scenarios focused on situations that matter most to most parents: 1) it's really important that you are comfortable with the nanny's discipline approaches and strategies, so have at least one situation (like the example) that would call for discipline; 2) at least one safety situation - people have different levels of comfort with risk, so you need to know what she would consider dangerous, as well as what she would do to keep your children safe; 3) one situation that would present a conflict between her own desires/wants and the children (like a friend calls and wants to come over but she's supposed to be putting the children to bed).

Those are a few suggestions, but I'm sure you can think of situations that would be a good "pop quiz" and would tell you if she's someone you think you could trust. If you have trouble, just think of situations that have come up in the last several months FOR YOU when you were with your children: a discipline situation that was a bit challenging or frustrating, a safety situation that got your heart pounding, etc. If it happened to you, it may very well happen to a nanny/sitter!

And I wouldn't worry to much about being "nice" or not making her feel uncomfortable during the interview. Your children are your most treasured possession and entrusting them to another person is a big deal. The right person for the job will understand that it's a huge responsibility and will expect hard questions. If she is uncomfortable, well, in my opinion, that says something about her ability to be responsible and mature in situations with your children that require a level head.

I hope this helps, Jodi. I hope you find someone who you AND your children adore and appreciate!

Kathy

Hi Kathy! Thank you so much for the help, I really appreciate it! I actually took what you gave me and went to about 8 other sites that offer interview questions for sitters and nannies; Then ran with it! I have created a questionnaire and I am going to post it here (although it doesn't have the neat logo at the top because I can't actually attach the file). I have to copy/paste.

I really hope that this may help assist other families in digging deeper into who they let into their home to watch their pride and joy each day. Even though families can be taken advantage of (which majorly happened to us), so can sitters and nanny's. I hope that even though it may feel like an interrogation, both parties can go into it with an open mind. In the end, it just helps to further establish that each party is a perfect match for each other.

Section 1: Experience Looking after children

Why did you become a nanny or why do you want to be one?

How long have you been a nanny or babysitting?

How old were the children you have previously cared for?

Do you have any childcare qualifications?

Do you have any first aid training?

After viewing our profile and what we are looking for, why do you want our job?

Describe your last childcare experience and how it ended.


Section 2: Views on childcare

What do you like about being a nanny?

What don't you like about being a nanny?

What is your approach to discipline?

How would you comfort a child if they were upset?

Give an example of a typical day you would spend looking after our child.

What do you see as your primary responsibility to my child?

What kinds of outdoor/indoor activities would you do with my child?

What type of television shows do you feel are appropriate for a child of this age?

How would you handle a temper tantrum (for a 16 mo. old) say in a grocery store?

What if my baby cries, how will you comfort her? In your experience, what comforting techniques work best for you? What do you feel about spoiling?

Section 3: Past employment/About you


What was your last job and why did you leave it? How long were you with them?

What was your favorite job you have worked and why?

Tell me about some of the household rules you have come across that you think have worked well.

Describe the best family (babysitting/nanny) that you have ever worked for.

Have you ever worked for a difficult family or with difficult children? If so, why were they difficult?

Have you ever had your employment terminated due to a problem or disagreement? Please give details.

Why are you looking for a new job?

Are you prepared to do any household chores?

When are you available to start?

Are there specific days (weekend days or nights) that you would have/require off?

Would you be able to travel with my family for holidays?

Do you have any special dietary preferences (such as vegetarian/vegan)?

Do you have any health issues or situations we should know about (allergies, doctor's appointments, physical therapy...)

Do you have any hobbies/interests/other skills?

15. Can you supply the names address, phone numbers and emails for 3 references?

16. If we decide to employ you, can you produce copies of the following: a valid drivers license or permit, any certificates of qualifications, and any college degrees (if applicable)

Section 4: Critical thinking

Can you describe a time when you were faced with a stressful situation as a caregiver that demonstrated your coping skills?

Give me a specific example of a time when you used good judgement and logic in solving a problem at work.

Give me an example of a time when the parents and you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it.

Can you tell me a specific example of a time when you had to conform to a rule or request by your employer with which you did not agree.

What is your typical way of dealing with conflict?

What was a difficult decision that you have had to make with in the last year?

Please tell me about a time you had to quit a job or were let go.

Give me an example when something you tried to accomplish but failed.

Give me an example of a time when you motivated others.

Can you provide me with an example of a time when you used your fact finding skills to solve a problem?

Section 5: About us...

Please make a list of any specific questions that you may have for us as a family. It is only fair to answer detailed questions that may concern you as you you have for us.

Jodi - Wow, this is a great list of questions! Gives parents plenty to choose from - and will probably bring up issues that they wouldn't have thought of otherwise, so even if they don't end up asking all of the questions initially, they will be more aware of things to pay attention to all during the relationship with the caregiver.

I also appreciate your point that a relationship can go wrong on either end - that's very true! In fact, child care providers, nannies, and sitters should also come with some questions of their own. Not just about pay and hours but deeper questions like these to avoid conflicts, assumptions, and misunderstandings down the road. In fact, one of those questions should be about how they would resolve a conflict or problem if it comes up!

Great job, Jodi - what a big help!!
Kathy