10 Questions to ask Super Nanny in an interview (from an expert)

This is always a very difficult task for a mom. You have been at home for thee months on maternity leave or maybe even longer, and now it’s time to return to work. You now need to find someone who will love and care for your child the same way that you do.

These are some of the most advisable questions, but at the end of the day a mom always goes with her gut:

You are preparing a bottle of formula: do you put the water or formula in first?

Surprising a lot of childminders think they should put the formula in first. Then how do you mix the formula? Someone who is a fully trained and experience childminder should be able to give a full demonstration or explanation.

Have you done a first aid course?

If she yes, present her with a scenario and ask her what she would do

What did you like most about the last family you worked for?

Rather than ask her why she left, rather listen to how positive she is (Does she speak kindly of their children, does she glow when she speaks about them?)

How would you stimulate my child?

You want to see if she knows about age-appropriate games, and if she knows how to draw up a weekly schedule of activities involving arts and crafts, outdoor play, good old traditional games, nursery rhymes – and using items in the home to do this.

How long do you want to work for my family?

Ideally you want a long-term relationship. Many childminders now go on to get drivers license’s and at a later stage become an au pair for the family. They drive the children around and run errands for the family.

What type of discipline will you use on my child?

You want to see if she understands the concept of the discipline method you prefer. (For example the concept of time out). The best is to ask what type of discipline she used in previous homes.

When my baby is crying, what will you do?

If your child is awake the best is to give your child to her hold in the interview, especially if she does start crying. Second to that is you want know what motions she uses: for example, does she put the baby on her back, or rock the baby?

How many children have you taken care of at one time?

Many homes have two or three children. However there is often a domestic worker to help, and the mom could be at home too. You want to understand how many she took care of totally on her own.

When changing a nappy, which way do you wipe?

Depending on whether you have a boy or a a girl, she should know how a girl baby should be wiped. You could also ask her to change your child’s nappy during the interview to see how she does it.

Questions aside, have a conversation with the applicant to understand her and her lifestyle, where she comes from, her life story. Questions like how many children she has, who looks after them, is she married, how often does she go home, are her parents still alive, does she have siblings, does she want to study anything… all contribute to getting to know her before you employ her.

You are judging her character and attitude: you can always train her on the smaller things once she is accepts the job.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.