Nanny/ babysitter interviews

ksimo6

Hi all! We are interviewing nannies and occasional baby sitters this week from care.com. For those of you who have insight or have been through this process, what are some obtuse things you asked? Any and all help would be appreciated!

foxa319

I was a nanny years ago and was hired from care.com! The family I worked for said they had interviewed 10 other people and just had an initial good feeling about me from me just walking through the door! I'm still close with them years later so trust your gut!
If I was looking for someone I would plop the baby right in their lap and see how the person interacts with LO! Good luck!

Sammy K

What is their experience with this age range?

Do they have or are willing to get CPR/first aid training, specifically for infants? (most babysitting courses cover this)

Do they have a valid driver's license and reliable vehicle?

Are they comfortable installing a car seat in case of an emergency?

What are their thoughts on TV and movies?

If you have pets, are they allergic?

That's a start! Good luck!

47923ang

I have no experience with nannies, but when I interviewed our in home daycare provider, I asked "what does a typical day look like?"

mvargas12

I've gotten several jobs from care.com and I agree with @foxa319 , hand them the baby and watch them interact. Definitely check their references!

dancegurl1118

I used to go for formal interviews for families I nannied for. They would talk about their expectations, I would talk about mine. The worst would be starting a job and the family expecting things that were never discussed (housework etc).

Davila21

My husband and I just hired our sitter from care. We asked usual questions such as experience, if she would feel comfortable watching the baby if he's ever sick, does she have reliable transportation, etc. one thing I wish we would have done was to have her show us how to change a diaper, swaddle the baby, prepare a bottle etc because some things she does just aren't quite right and we wish we would have known ahead of time. Other than that, just make sure you feel good about them. Ours left a really good impression and we knew right away we would hire her and she's great with LO. Good luck!

ksimo6

Thanks all. Very helpful!

laurendutch

I would ask scenarios and how they would handle it.