What To Ask A Babysitter In An Interview

Questions To Ask Yourself After A Nanny Interview

Questions to Ask During Your Nanny Interview – Nanny jobs

During the in-person interview, take note of more than just the applicants answers to your questions. Jot down your first impressions post-interview and check your gut reaction. If theres ever a time to trust your instincts, its when making decisions about child care.

Here are a few more things to consider when judging whether a nanny candidate would be a good nanny for your family.

Finally, schedule a test run. Its worth a few days pay to give your top contender a trial run at caring for your baby. This might be a couple of days or a week or two, enough time to give you both a chance to see how things feel. Make sure you are there for at least part of every day so you can gauge whether the nanny is living up to your expectations.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

Are You Certified In First Aid And Cpr

This is important, especially if the babysitter will be spending long and regular periods of time with your kids. If you really like the candidate and they have not yet been certified, ask them if they would be willing to do so before they begin working for you. There are typically many options for one-day courses. If the candidate has already completed a first aid and CPR course, ask them to provide evidence of this certification.

Is Baby Care A Specialty

If you have a precious little baby at home, and you need a babysitter, you will need to be absolutely certain that any babysitter you hire knows how to take care of a baby. Babies are stronger than they appear, but they are still fragile. They need babysitters who cuddle them, feed them the right amounts, change their diapers and generally make them feel safe, secure and cared for.

So, be very sure to ask a candidate if he or she has experience taking care of babies. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions, such as if they know how to prepare formula or a bottle of pumped milk.

References: Smartsitting.com, Cnn.com, Enannysource.com, Indeed.com, Care.com, LIfehacker.com, Kidshealth.org, Dcurbanmom.com, Canadiannanny.ca

Questions To Ask A Babysitter In An Interview

When you hire a babysitter, naturally you’ll want to ensure you hire a qualified individual who will take good care of your children. When you find a babysitter, however, it can be hard to know what questions to ask them to get a good understanding of their experience and personality.

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You want a babysitter who really loves what she does. She just not out looking for a job but shes also looking for something that she loves to do. There are some babysitters who are really passionate about they do. You will be able to recognize them by asking them this important question what is about babysitting that you love the most?

A babysitter who really loves what she does will be able to answer this question candidly. Shes not going to stall to look for words. Shes going to be able to answer this question right away.

As an interviewer, you need to establish a direct eye contact with the potential babysitter. If the potential babysitter can seem to keep up with your direct eye contact, then you have a good reason to doubt whatever she says.

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How Do You Discipline Kids

A babysitter shouldn’t be doling out corporal punishment. When you’re interviewing a babysitter, make sure that his or her style of discipline fits your parenting style and values. Ask a candidate how he or she disciplines children and listen carefully to the answers. There are non-physical forms of discipline that you may or may not approve of, such as time-outs. You need to know what a babysitter is going to do if your child misbehaves.

You should be able to set rules here and have the babysitter follow them, but a babysitter with a much harsher sense of discipline, or a weaker sense of discipline, probably isn’t going to be a good fit.

How Much Do You Charge / What Is Your Hourly Rate

There’s an old saying when it comes to negotiating that “the first person to say a number loses.”

It’s best to let your babysitter tell you how much they want to earn before you throw a number out. You might be willing to pay them $12 per hour, but they might be perfectly willing to do it for $10.

Just make sure you’re taking other factors into account like your babysitter’s age and experience. The cheapest option isn’t necessarily the best.

Refer to our complete guide to babysitter pay for help deciding on an appropriate pay rate for your situation.

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Do You Have Cpr And First Aid Training

Tell Me About Yourself – A Good Answer to This Nanny Interview Question

You really shouldn’t hire anyone who doesn’t have CPR and First Aid training. Also, you shouldn’t take a babysitter’s word for it that he or she has these important credentials. You should always request proof.

If something happens, such as an accident or sudden illness, a babysitter is going to need to spring into action to help your child. Without CPR or First Aid training, a babysitter may not be able to prolong life until emergency personnel arrives.

These courses are easy to find at Redcross.org and other places, so there’s no excuse for a babysitter not to take the courses.

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Look Into The Team Structure

I love to see candidates ask about the team structure or hierarchy of the position. Rarely does a person operate in a vacuum, and knowing who you will be working with, reporting to, or overseeing is super beneficial when making an informed decision. Unfortunately, its rare we get this type of question which is why it stands out so much when we hear it!

Have You Ever Handled A Childcare Emergency

Childcare emergencies are every parent’s worst nightmare. Unfortunately, they do happen sometimes. This is why you should ask a babysitter that you’re interviewing how he or she handled this type of emergency. Maybe the candidate never dealt with an emergency like this, but learning how they would handle it could be helpful.

It’s nice to know that a candidate has the mental wherewithal to do all of the right things when the going gets tough. For example, did the babysitter call an ambulance, administer CPR or otherwise solve a problem rapidly? A great babysitter will be awesome in a crisis.

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What Are You Passionate About Outside Of Babysitting

Asking your potential babysitter what they are passionate about, aside from childcare, will help you get to know them on a better level and help you to form a more accurate idea of their personality. There is no correct answer to this question, but you can use the answer of the babysitter to see if they are a good fit for your child. For example, if the interviewee responds that they enjoy art and reading, you will be able to judge whether these are passions and interests your children also share. You can also use the answer to this question to see how serious the candidate is about babysitting, as if they respond they are passionate about a future career in childcare, you know they will take the role of babysitting incredibly seriously.

Essential Questions To Ask A Potential Babysitter

Before you choose your child’s babysitter, consider first asking any/all of these important and relevant questions. Just like with a childcare center, answers provided should make you feel comfortable and confident in leaving your precious youngster in the care of someone else. Once you do the interview don’t forget about checking references before you hire your babysitter.

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Going Through The Nanny’s Cv

It is obviously important to ask the nanny to describe her previous childcare positions. Working through her previous work experience you may consider asking the following questions in relation to each position:

How did you spend your days with the children?
Was it a sole charge position or were their elements of sole charge?
Why did you leave?
What did you enjoy most about the job?
What did you least enjoy about the job?
You should also read through the nanny’s written references, and raise any questions you may have in relation to those references.

If the nanny has childcare qualifications, ask her to describe the course – how long it was for, whether she studied full time or part time, and what the course covered. In particular ask whether it involved her doing work experience and placements either with families or in nurseries.

How Flexible Is Your Work Schedule

It is better to ask a potential candidate about their availability and flexibility at the start of an interview, to avoid wasting your time interviewing a candidate who will be unable to work to your schedule or fulfil all the hours of babysitting you require. Ideally, a babysitter should be available at regular hours throughout the week and have some room for flexibility for last-minute plans you may have. Ensure you consider the hours you would require a babysitter before you conduct any interviews so you can provide potential candidates with accurate information.

Finding Out That You Have An Interview

How to Interview a Babysitter

If a parent hears about you and thinks they might be interested in hiring you to babysit, they’ll reach out.

When you’re using a babysitting website, you’ll receive a private message or email from them. If someone you know gave them your information, you’ll probably get a phone call or text message instead.

From here on, treat every interaction you have with the parent as part of the interview. You want to be sure to make a positive impression, even if you’re just replying to say you’d be interested and set up an interview!

The parent who wants to hire you will set most of the details and you’ll agree on a time that works for both of you.

It’s important to figure out what type of interview it’s going to be. Some parents just want a quick phone interview before they meet you in person. Others will want to do a video call through Skype or Facebook. Some will just meet you in person right away. There are some little tips and tricks that are different for each style of interview.

Questions To Ask A Prospective Babysitter

Ask these questions when interviewing possible babysitters:

Have you babysat previously? If so, please describe your experience.
Have you received any specialized training in childcare such as first aid/CPR, attended a babysitter course, or taken related school courses?
Do you regularly work/volunteer with kids? If so, please describe, such as helping out with young dance classes, serving as a sports assistant, etc.
Are your immunizations current?
Do you have any health restrictions that could affect your ability to babysit?

For example, if you have three cats and the candidate is terribly allergic to cats, then this could be a problem. Or, if you have someone who can’t access stairs but the kids’ beds are on the second floor, you need to know that before making a hiring decision.

If you have not already spoken with someone about the babysitter beforehand, be sure you call and talk with references before entrusting a person to care for your child.

Inquire About Advancement Opportunities

Is there room for advancement and training within the role or company?

Inquiring about advancement chances shows the interviewer that youre serious about your profession and want to stay with the company in the future.

If youre unaware of the typical career path for someone in this role, asking this question will help you determine whether a long-term career with the organization is possible or if youll need to go on to earn more responsibilities.

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Will You Do Light Housework

Babysitters aren’t maids, but they may need to do a bit of housework in order to take good care of the kids. For example, they may need to prepare meals and clean up afterward, or tidy up playrooms, or do some laundry so the kids have clean clothes for their activities. If you want this type of light housework, make sure that a candidate is willing to do it.

In general, you shouldn’t ask a babysitter to do housework that doesn’t directly relate to childcare.

According to Alphamom.com, moms often want light housework but feel awkward asking for it. If you want this service, make that clear during the interview.

Would You Travel With Our Family

Babysitters, To look and Questions to ask on Pinterest

Do you want a babysitter who will travel with your family? This is usually more “nanny territory” but a babysitter may be willing to go along on family holidays or other types of trips. Babysitters usually get a bit of extra pay when they travel with families because traveling with families is outside of their usual work duties. Traveling with a family will take away the babysitter’s capacity to do his or her own thing once childcare work is complete.

If a candidate doesn’t want to do this, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it’s worth considering, as another candidate may be fine with travel. Consider your own family’s needs and if going out of town for a vacation or even just to the family cottage is something you frequently do or hope to do in the future.

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What Do You Like Least About Babysitting

This is kind of like the dreaded “what’s your worst quality?” interview question that you’ve probably got before and had to answer with some corny answer about how you’re too much of a perfectionist.

But you might get an honest answer here that could give you some valuable insight.

Basically anything besides “the kids” or “it’s a lot of work” is probably fine. Even if a babysitter’s answer was changing diapers, I’d probably be fine with that, because at least it’s honest. It’s my least favorite part of the job too!

How Would You Spend A Saturday With My Children

Asking a babysitter for a rough idea of how they would spend a day with your children is an effective way to get a sense of how experienced and passionate they are about childcare. For example, if a babysitter remembers to include lunch, snack time and time for a nap in their plan for the day, you can be confident they have the initiative and knowledge to look after your children well.The activities they plan will also be a good indication of how experienced they are with children. For example, if they suggest taking your pre-teen to the park or taking your newborn to the zoo, this will be a good indication that they are unsure of what activities are age-appropriate for your children. Finding and communicating with babysitters is easy on the Juggle Street introductory platform. We understand parents have a lot going on in their day to day lives, and juggling work, social obligations and childcare can be difficult. Luckily, we’re here to help. Create a Juggle Street profile today and connect with caregivers in your local area easily.

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