How To Interview A Nanny Or Au Pair

What interview questions should I ask a nanny or au pair?

You want to start by finding out about their family background. Ask them where they're from, ask them if they have brothers and sisters, find out where their relatives live, and see what kind of relationships they have with their own relatives. Many of the people have big families, and they're used to taking care of their little brothers and sisters. I find that at least half the nannies have huge families. So you want to know a little bit about their personal life; whether or not they're married, you want to know whether or not they're dating. Often times you will find somebody who is involved with another person. The nanny may be fine, but the boyfriend or the girlfriend could cause problems, and because they're in your home with your children, you want to know about their personal life. They should know up front that there's nothing more personal than leaving your child with somebody, so it's always ok to ask all of those types of personal questions. You're going to have to find out about their health history, to find out whether they're taking any type of medications, you're going to want to find out whether they're smoking, or not smoking, and you are going to need to find out about all of their own insurances. For example, any nanny that you might have come over that doesn't really have a driver's license or doesn't have car insurance, you would need to pass on that person right away. If there ever is an emergency, you would need somebody who could possibly take them to the hospital.