Nanny Interview Questions

The goal for a successful interview for a Nanny is to showcase their empathy, nurturing nature, and ability to ensure the safety and well-being of the children they will be taking care of.

Situational interview questions

• Your charge is a 2-year-old who refuses to take naps during the day. Despite your best efforts to make the environment conducive for napping, the child still refuses to sleep. How would you solve this problem?
• Your charge has a peanut allergy, and you need to prepare their meals carefully and make sure they do not come into contact with any peanut-containing foods. You have invited a friend with a peanut butter sandwich over for a playdate. What would you do in this situation?
• Your charge has a habit of throwing tantrums whenever they are told to do something they don’t want to do. How would you deal with their behavior?
• You are watching very active children and notice that they seem to be getting bored with their usual toys and activities. How would you come up with new and creative activities to keep them engaged and entertained?
• The child you are responsible for has suddenly become very withdrawn and quiet recently. They don’t seem to be comfortable talking about the cause of their sudden change in behavior. What would you do in such a situation to figure out the problem and help the child?

Soft skills interview questions

• Can you give an example of a time when you were able to handle a difficult situation with a child? How did you use your patience and empathy to resolve the situation?
• How do you prioritize the needs of multiple children under your care? Can you describe a time when you had to make a decision based on the best interest of all children involved?
• How do you communicate with parents about their child’s progress and behavior? Can you give an example of a time when you provided constructive feedback to a parent about their child’s behavior?
• Can you describe your approach to conflict resolution between children? How do you promote cooperation and understanding among children in your care?
• How do you ensure that the children in your care feel safe, respected, and supported? Can you give an example of a time when you went above and beyond to make a child feel comfortable and accepted?

Role-specific interview questions

• Have you ever cared for a child with special needs? If so, can you give an example of how you adapted to their unique requirements?
• What would you do if a child you were caring for had an emergency medical situation, such as choking or seizure?
• How do you handle discipline for children of different ages, and what are some strategies you have found effective?
• Can you describe a time when you had to handle a conflict between children, and how you resolved it?
• Have you ever had to administer medication to a child while caring for them? If so, what steps did you take to ensure the medication was given correctly and safely?

STAR interview questions

1. Can you describe a situation where one of the children you were caring for had a medical emergency? What was your role and what actions did you take to ensure their safety and well-being? What was the result of your actions?

2. Have you ever had to manage a situation where a child was displaying difficult behavior? What was the task assigned to you and what actions did you take to manage the child’s behavior? What was the outcome of your efforts?

3. Can you provide an example of a time when you had to plan and oversee an outing or activity for the children? What was the situation and what tasks were you responsible for? What actions did you take to ensure the children had a safe and enjoyable time? What was the result?

4. Have you faced a situation where one of the children you were caring for was ill for an extended period of time? What was your responsibility in terms of providing them care and support? What actions did you take to make the child comfortable and alleviate their symptoms? What was the result of your efforts?

5. Can you describe a time when you were responsible for preparing a meal for the children? What was the situation and what was your task? What actions did you take to ensure a healthy and balanced meal was provided? What was the result in terms of the children’s health and satisfaction with the meal?