20 questions to ask a nanny in an interview (with red flags to watch)

Knowing what questions to ask a nanny in an interview is one thing. Knowing whether you’ve just heard a brilliant answer or a beautifully delivered red flag is another.

This guide gives parents 20 nanny interview questions worth asking, plus what to listen for in the answers. We’ll cover experience and qualifications, everyday care, safety and emergencies, and the key to finding the practical fit that can make family life run beautifully.

Before the interview: how to set yourself up

Have the nanny’s CV in front of you, along with a quick summary of your child’s usual day: nap, feeds, favourite comforts, school or preschool times and any routines that keep the wheels on. If you’re learning how to hire a nanny in Australia, it’s also worth knowing which nanny qualifications matter so you can sort the genuine credentials from the CV garnish.

You don’t need to check references before the interview, but you do want to confirm that professional references are available. And if they do hold a Working With Children Check, don’t stop at sighting the card. Verify the number online before making an offer.

Questions about experience and qualifications (Questions 1–5)

1. Can you walk me through your nanny experience — how many families, ages of children, and how long each role lasted?

A strong answer should be specific and easy to follow. Your prospective nanny should be able to tell you which families they worked with, the children’s ages, how long each role lasted and why they moved on.

Red flags: “I’ve looked after a few kids here and there”, dates that don’t add up, repeated short placements with no real explanation, or an inability to tell you why previous roles ended.

2. What’s your current first aid and CPR certification, and when does it expire?

You’re looking for a clear, specific answer. Your nanny should be able to name their current qualifications, tell you when they expire and confirm that infant CPR is included. For younger children especially, first aid and emergency training needs to be current and relevant to the age they will be caring for.

Red flags: they can’t name the certificate, don’t know when it expires, say they “did a first aid course a while ago”, or their training doesn’t cover paediatric first aid and infant CPR.

3. Do you hold a current Working With Children Check and can I verify the card number?

The answer should be an easy yes. A nanny should know their WWCC details and be comfortable giving you the card number so you can verify it online before making an offer.

Red flags: hesitation about sharing the number, offering only a paper copy, questioning why you need to verify it, or not knowing what a Working With Children Check is.

4. Do you have formal childcare qualifications — and if so, what are they?

A Certificate III or Diploma in Early Childhood Education and Care is a strong plus, but formal qualifications aren’t the only marker of a good nanny. Solid experience, strong references and a good attitude can be just as valuable.

Red flags: claiming qualifications they can’t name clearly, being vague about where or when they trained, or brushing the question off altogether.

Questions about approach and daily life (Questions 6–11)

6. Describe a typical day with a child the same age as mine.

A good answer should sound grounded in real childcare. They might talk about planning outings around naps, keeping meals on a familiar rhythm, getting outside, and switching between active play, quieter activities and free play depending on the child’s energy.

Red flags: “We’d just play and hang out”, no mention of naps or meals or any specific examples that show they genuinely know this age.

7. How do you handle a child who is having a meltdown or a very difficult day?

A good answer is calm and talks about de-escalation strategies: distraction for toddlers, naming feelings for older children, or giving them space before re-engaging. 

Red flags: “I’d just let them cry it out”, or talks about using treats, screens or rewards to end a meltdown, or has no clear strategy beyond waiting for it to pass.

8. What’s your approach to screen time?

You want someone who sees screen time as a parent’s call, understands age-based limits and is happy to defer to your family rules.

Red flags: they show little awareness of age-appropriate screen time, or have a strong philosophy on screens that clashes with how your family wants them used.

9. How do you manage nap or sleep routines — particularly if a child resists sleep?

A reassuring answer shows the nanny understands why sleep consistency matters and can talk you through how they’d keep your child’s wind-down sequence, use familiar cues like white noise and age-appropriate resettling techniques if sleep goes off-script.

Red flags: anything that sounds like there is no clear plan, little awareness of age-appropriate sleep needs or claiming they’ve never really had a child resist sleep.

10. Tell me about a time you handled a conflict or difficult situation with a previous family.

You’re looking for a real example: what happened, what they did, and what they learned from it. A strong answer can protect the family’s privacy and still show self-awareness.

Red flag: they can’t think of an example, blame the previous family for everything, or describe the situation without acknowledging anything they could have handled differently.

11. Are you comfortable with sole charge of a baby or young child, including in an emergency?

The answer should sound confident and grounded in experience. Listen for someone who is comfortable being fully responsible for a young child and can naturally explain how their first aid training would guide them if something went wrong.

Red flags: any uncertainty about being left alone with a baby, experience limited to a shared-care setting, or no clear connection between their emergency training and what they’d actually do.

Questions about safety and emergency response (Questions 12–16)

12. What would you do if a child in your care had a febrile seizure?

You want an answer that is calm and specific: place the child on their side, don’t restrain them, time the seizure, call 000 if it lasts more than five minutes or recovery is delayed, and contact the parents straight away.

Red flags: they don’t know how to position the child, suggest restraining them, or seem completely unsure what to do.

13. A child swallows something they shouldn’t — what do you do?

A strong answer should distinguish between choking and ingestion, ask what was swallowed and know when to call 000 versus the Poisons Information Centre.

Red flags: defaulting to 000 for every ingestion, not knowing about the Poisons Information Centre, or giving a vague answer that suggests they’ve never thought through the difference between poisoning and choking.

14. How would you handle a situation where a child’s behaviour raised a concern about something happening at home?

Listen for answers that describe careful observation, documentation, a calm conversation with the parent, and an understanding that some child-safety concerns may need to be reported.

Red flags: “I’d stay out of it”, dismissing concerning behaviour as none of their business, or showing no awareness that a nanny’s duty of care can extend to reporting serious wellbeing concerns.

15. Have you ever had to call 000 in a previous role? What happened?

If they have, you want a clear account of what happened and why they made the call. If they haven’t, they should still be able to explain what would trigger a 000 call and how they’d respond calmly.

Red flags: they can’t clearly explain what they would do in an emergency, their answer lacks a logical sequence of action, or they describe a past incident in a way that raises concerns about their judgement

16. Are you comfortable administering medication to a child if required?

The ideal answer displays clear boundaries: parent authorisation, following written instructions, checking the dose carefully and recording what was given and when.

Red flags: they’re vague about needing parent authorisation, don’t mention checking dosage and timing against written instructions, or treat medication as something informal.

Questions about practical fit (Questions 17–20)

17. What’s your availability, and what would cause your availability to change?

You want a clear picture of current commitments, plus an honest answer about whether they’re hoping for more or fewer hours than this role offers. This will help you judge how sustainable the arrangement is likely to be.

Red flags: vague availability, side commitments that may compete with your hours, or evasiveness about why their current schedule is changing.

18. Do you drive, and are you comfortable transporting children in your own or a family’s vehicle?

Listen for a clear yes or no, a current driver’s licence, and a feeling of confidence about transporting children. If the family car is part of the role, they should also understand that they’ll need to be added to the insurance before driving it.

Red flags: vague answers about licence status, nervousness about driving children, or the assumption that the family car can be used without additional insurance.

19. Is there anything in this role’s description you’d be uncomfortable with, or that you’d want to discuss?

A thoughtful answer may raise practical boundaries around things like cleaning, pets, driving or hours. Experienced nannies usually know what they’re comfortable taking on and can say so clearly.

Red flags: “I’m fine with absolutely anything”, no questions or boundaries at all, or agreeing to duties that seem well outside their experience.

20. What do you love most about working as a nanny — and what makes you good at it?

Of all the nanny interview questions on your list, this is the one that gets closest to who they are with children. The strongest answers usually say something specific about children, relationships, or the small moments that make nannying meaningful to them.

Red flags: a generic “I love kids”, no real sense of why nannying suits them, or an answer focused mainly on keeping parents happy rather than building a relationship with the child

After the interview: what to do next

Before you make an offer, verify their WWCC online, call professional references yourself and ask what they were actually like with the child/children, not just whether they were a good person or not. A paid trial day is also a smart idea and can also help you get a practical feel for how the nanny might fit into your home.

If you’d rather skip the detective work, Gracie takes care of the vetting before your nanny starts. The Gracie team conducts a structured interview, verifies credentials and checks professional references, so your meet-and-greet can focus on the part that matters most at that stage: whether the nanny feels right for your family. Find a nanny in Melbourne.

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