Finding the babysitter or nanny that’s the right fit for your family takes a bit of work, but can have life-changing results. Interviews are a fantastic way to get to know your options better. But what do you ask? With the right questions, you’ll be able to learn important information to help you make your decision.
Essential Questions To Ask Babysitters or Nannies
We recommend covering some basic and standard questions in any child care interview. These provide insight into a lot of the functional areas of the job and whether or not the person in front of you is able/willing to do the work you need to be done.
These questions can range within a few categories:
- General
- Experience
- Availability
- Skills
- Responsibilities/Tasks
These essential questions are important to cover with a potential babysitter or nanny, but other kinds of questions can help you determine if someone is a good fit for your family.
Thoughtful Questions To Get To Know Babysitters or Nannies Better
The last thing you want is to get to the end of an interview and still feel like you still don’t know the person you might hire to care for your kids. Once you’ve covered the essentials, dive deeper with these thoughtfully crafted questions designed to reveal the heart, creativity, and compatibility of your next nanny or sitter.
Imagination Ignition: “If you and the kids were stranded on a desert island, what three fun activities would you come up with using only natural resources?”
Empathy Exploration: “Can you share a time when you had to comfort a child not with words, but through action or presence alone?”
Growth Mindset Gauge: “Tell me about a skill or hobby you’re currently learning. How would you share the excitement of learning with the children?”
Cultural Compass: “Our family celebrates [specific tradition or value]. How would you incorporate this into your time with the kids, or what new tradition might you introduce?”
Resilience Reveal: “Describe a moment when things didn’t go as planned in a caregiving setting. How did you adapt, and what was the silver lining?”
Joy Journey: “What’s a simple daily moment that always brings you joy, and how might you create such moments for our children?”
Wisdom from the Wee Ones: “Children often say the most insightful things. Can you recall a piece of ‘kid wisdom’ that struck you, and how it influenced your approach?”
Legacy Question: “Years from now, what would you hope the children remember about their time with you?”
Remember, you’re not just interviewing a caregiver—you’re inviting stories, shared values, and imaginative ideas into your family’s life. Sittercity can help you find more than a sitter, but a new chapter in your family’s story. Wherever you are in that journey, we have more resources than can help you with your job post, how much you should pay, understanding background checks, checking references, and more.
