We recommend that you screen nannies before meeting them in person. A screen can range from a brief phone chat to a full reference & background check. Be sure to consider the background check before extending an offer. For more information, refer to Old Fashioned Family's section on background checks. When you meet candidates in person pay close attention to how they interact with your children. Does the candidate get right on the ground and begin playing with them? Do they hold your children? Expect candidates to be nervous. They may need encouragement to begin interacting with your children. Make sure you prepare questions in advance for your in-person interviews. When creating your list of questions remember that you want to distinguish candidates who want to be your nanny because they love raising children from candidates who are simply in search of a paying gig.

Here are a few interview topics to get you started:

•	Flexibility on hours - many nannies are unwilling/unable to work extra hours
•	Describe your family life
•	Describe previous experiences with childcare (professional or personal family)
•	Describe your approach to disciplining children: when, why, how
•	Describe what distinguishes good childcare from bad childcare
•	Determine how fit the candidate is to handle emergencies (e.g. does the candidate know CPR, Heimlech Maneuver, basic First Aid)
•	List some fun activities to occupy the child’s day (especially for rainy days)
•	Discuss the activities you would expect the nanny to perform, such as: reading, taking children to activities, drawing, dancing,…etc
•	Discuss whether you permit smoking in the apartment and whether the nanny is ever permitted to smoke in front of the children