At ����AV Family Care, we take care of the heavy lifting—background checks, reference verification, skills assessments—so by the time you sit down to interview, you can focus on what truly matters: personal fit, communication style, and long-term compatibility.

Below, we’ve outlined key topics to cover during your nanny interview—along with sample questions to help guide your conversation.

1. Childcare Philosophy & Approach

Before diving into logistics, it’s important to understand how a nanny views discipline, learning, and emotional development. You want to ensure they will reinforce your parenting style.

Sample Questions:

• How do you typically handle tantrums, sibling disagreements, or challenging behavior?
• What methods do you use to encourage independence and positive habits?
• How would you handle a tough emotional day for a child?

Tip: Experienced nannies may be comfortable working within various parenting styles, so be clear about your expectations from the start.

2. Daily Responsibilities & Flexibility

From school drop-offs to meal prep, a nanny’s day often includes much more than childcare alone.

Sample Questions:

• Are you comfortable transporting children by car, public transit, or on foot?
• Would you be willing to help with light household tasks like children’s laundry or tidying play areas?
• Are you available for occasional travel or overnights?
• How do you feel about helping with homework or school projects?

Tip: Outline a “typical day” for your household and confirm the candidate is comfortable with it.

3. Experience & Background

This section helps you gauge a nanny’s professional journey and their comfort with situations similar to yours.

Sample Questions:

• How long have you been working as a nanny?
• What age groups do you have the most experience with?
• Have you cared for multiple children or worked alongside parents in the home?
• What do you enjoy most about this profession?

4. Communication & Professionalism

A successful relationship between a nanny and a family relies on open, respectful communication.

Sample Questions:

• How do you prefer to communicate updates—text, email, or in-person debrief?
• How do you like to receive feedback?
• What has helped you build strong relationships with past families?

5. Compensation, Legal Pay & Benefits

Transparency around pay and benefits sets the stage for a professional and respectful arrangement.

Sample Questions:

• Are you familiar with being , including tax withholdings?
• What benefits are important to you (e.g., paid time off, , )?
• Are you looking for a long-term position?

Tip: Legal pay not only ensures compliance but also attracts career nannies who value stability.

6. Scenario-Based Problem Solving

Asking “what if” questions can give you a sense of how the nanny handles real-life challenges.

Sample Questions:

• What would you do if both children were upset at the same time?
• How would you respond if a child refused to eat lunch?
• What’s your process if a child is injured at the park?

End the interview by giving your candidate time to ask questions about your family and expectations. Pay attention not just to their answers, but to their demeanor—do they seem warm, confident, and engaged?

Hiring a nanny can feel overwhelming, but with ����AV Family Care’s screening process and your thoughtful interview, you’ll be well on your way to creating a partnership built on trust, respect, and care.

The professionals at ����AV Family Care personally assist nannies, babysitters and families in St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando to find the right childcare arrangement. Our mission is to provide a safe and personalized  approach for families and caregivers to connect with each other that is not an internet search. ����AV has worked with families, nannies, sitters, newborn care providers, and tutors for over 35 years and looks forward to working with you! To find great nanny and babysitting jobs visit us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or Call 314-725-5660.

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You’ve finished your search and have finally hired the best-fit nanny for your family, but where do you go from here to ensure that you develop the best possible nanny relationship ongoing?

Honeymoon Period

In every new job, both the employer and employee will be trying to make the best possible impression. Venturing into new territory will mean that the nanny may try different approaches and end up keeping some, while changing others. Adjusting to the expectations of the job and forming a bond with the children and family will take time. Rome, the perfect romance, and a long-lasting nanny relationship aren’t built overnight (or in two weeks); be patient and realistic.

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

You hired this professional for a reason. That being said, she’s human. She may do things differently than you do, or would do. That doesn’t make them wrong. People have diverse ways of handling children. It’s easy to pick up on these variances, especially in the beginning, but try to be respectful and give your new nanny the space she needs to blossom in your household. Carefully weigh what really matters. Certainly, something involving a safety concern or a personal boundary you’d communicate about, but if she gets your child dressed in another order than you do or has a varied teeth brushing routine, it may not be worth worrying about. In fact, many parents comment on how much they’ve gained from having another adult around, with years of childcare experience, who second handedly taught them a great deal, if they were open-minded and willing to see other methods through this lens. At the end of the day, if your children are well cared for and you trust her, then that speaks volumes.

The professionals at ����AV Family Care personally assist nannies, babysitters and families in St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando to find the right childcare arrangement. Our mission is to provide a safe and personalized  approach for families and caregivers to connect with each other that is not an internet search. ����AV has worked with families, nannies, sitters, newborn care providers, and tutors for over 35 years and looks forward to working with you! To find great nanny and babysitting jobs visit us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or Call 314-725-5660.

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Tax information for employers and nannies is being updated for the new year. Thanks to our friends at HomePay for this valuable information all nannies and employers should know.��

The earnings threshold that triggers the requirement to remit FICA taxes on a household employee’s wages will increase from $2,400 in 2022 to $2,600 in 2023. If the annual FICA wage threshold is reached, the employer becomes responsible for remitting both the employee and employer portions of FICA on all the wages they paid to the employee during the tax year. When wages paid to a household employee do not reach the annual FICA threshold, the employer is not required to issue a W-2.��

A new line has been added to form 1040 (federal personal income tax return) for reporting income earned as a household employee that was not reported on form W-2 because the wages stayed below the FICA threshold. It is no coincidence that the IRS added this new line alongside the change to the threshold triggering the requirement for TPSOs like Venmo and PayPal to file and issue a 1099-K.* 

*Previously, the 1099-K threshold had been $20,000 and 200+ transactions received. Effective 1/1/23, the threshold will be $600 in payments received.��

1099-K Threshold Changes Postponed

This past Friday, December 23rd, the IRS announced that the effective date of the new 1099-K threshold will be pushed back a year. So, rather than impacting payments made after 1/1/22, the change will impact payments made after 1/1/23. Per the , the delay is intended to provide more time for taxpayers to prepare and understand the new reporting requirements.��

While changes to the 1099-K requirements do not impact payments made through a payroll service, we know that TPSOs like Venmo, PayPal and Stripe are frequently used by families to pay date night sitters and other more temporary/adhoc providers. Earlier this year, we shared we received when the change was first announced. As of now, the answers are still accurate – minus the effective date of the change. We will continue to compile resources to help families and domestic workers ensure that they have their ducks in a row for the 2023 tax filing season.

Should you have any questions, give us a call or reach out to for all your nanny tax and payroll needs.

The professionals at ����AV Family Care personally assist nannies, babysitters and families in St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis, Charlotte, Miami and Orlando to find the right childcare arrangement. Our mission is to provide a safe and personalized  approach for families and caregivers to connect with each other that is not an internet search. ����AV has worked with families, nannies, sitters, newborn care providers, and tutors for over 35 years and looks forward to working with you! To find great nanny and babysitting jobs visit us at tlc@tlcforkids.com or Call 314-725-5660.

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Hiring a nanny can be both exciting and nerve-wracking, especially for ultra-busy, sleep-deprived families. Often, the obsession with finding the perfect caregiver causes families to overlook important employment details.

The Mistake

A Virginia family began searching for a nanny to care for their new bundle of joy. After an emotionally-draining 6-week quest to find the ideal nanny, they hastily agreed — verbally — on a work schedule and hourly rate. The nanny started work the next day without any kind of written agreement in place.

The Law

In some jurisdictions, a basic employment agreement is legally required. Whether required or not, we highly recommend that families use a placement agency or an attorney who can facilitate a comprehensive contract between family and nanny.

The discipline of drafting detailed job responsibilities, house rules, emergency procedures, work schedule, vacation/sick time procedures, compensation, pay frequency, communication/review procedures, etc. radically reduces problems and misunderstandings. It also tends to lengthen relationships because it makes the employee feel like a valued professional. Finally, it can be an important and cost-effective means of arbitrating any family/nanny issues.

The Mess

Within a few weeks, the honeymoon was over:
The family had trouble hiding frustration with the nanny’s housekeeping habits. She was tidying up the baby’s room and kitchen as well as cleaning toys and baby clothes. But the family had expectations of the nanny doing the family’s laundry and light housekeeping.
The nanny resented not getting paid for Labor Day. She needed the money and had assumed that she’d get paid for major holidays.
When the nanny got her first pay check, she was confused by the tax withholding’s. She thought the agreed-upon amount would be her “take-home” pay.

The Outcome

The family talked to friends and did some online research into the typical duties of nannies. They quickly realized that nanny job descriptions vary wildly and that they had done a poor job of articulating their desires at the beginning of the search process.

Similarly, although the family had done some research on household employer tax and legal obligations, they had not discussed the compensation and benefits offer at the appropriate level of detail for their nanny.

Despite the rocky start, the family really liked the way the nanny took care of the baby so they made a considerable effort to keep her. They created an employment agreement and sat down with her to discuss all the “relationship details” they should have discussed a month earlier.

Unfortunately, the nanny took another job shortly after their meeting. She did not feel valued or respected and opted for a fresh start with another couple.

The family hired their next nanny through one of our agency partners. The agency used a thorough job description process to focus the search on nannies who met the family’s expectations. After a comprehensive vetting process, the agency held the family’s hand through an employment agreement that left no room for misinterpretation or confusion. It’s been almost 18 months and the relationship is going strong.

How the Whole Thing Could Have Been Avoided

When searching for household help, busy families are tempted to take short cuts. Aside from being pressed for time, it can feel somewhat awkward to have a formal contractual agreement with someone with whom there is such a personal relationship.

However, in our experience, the formal work agreement is the single-best predictor of the long-term success of the relationship. Without one, the relationship almost always seems to be rife with misunderstandings and resentment. With one, the relationship enjoys clear direction and increased professionalism.

We encourage families to retain a reputable placement agency that can guide them on employment agreements and other important aspects of due diligence involved with household employment. It dramatically enhances the odds of an endearing and enduring employment relationship.

If you have additional questions about this or any other aspect of household employment tax and labor law, visit them 

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The final rule will:

• Raise the salary threshold indicating eligibility from $455/week to $913 ($47,476 per year), ensuring protections to 4.2 million workers.
• Automatically update the salary threshold every three years, based on wage growth over time, increasing predictability.
• Strengthen overtime protections for salaried workers already entitled to overtime.
• Provide greater clarity for workers and employers.

Nannies, and other domestic workers, are non-exempt and protected under The Fair Labor Standards Act.�� Therefore, a nanny who works over 40 hours in a week is required to earn time and a half for those additional hours.

For example, lets say a nanny works 45 hours a week and earns $617.50.��  Her hourly salary is $13/hr for the first 40 hours and $19.50 for the additional 5 hours worked that week.

Watch the video for more information on nanny overtime pay and the

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Talking about taxes can often seem overwhelming. Luckily, ����AV can refer you to professionals that can help. We recommend using for all your household employment needs.

By definition, a nanny working in the home of a family is an employee of the family (even if the job is temporary, permanent, part-time, or full-time). The nanny is NOT an independent contractor. The ‘employee’ classification is determined by the nature of the work performed—not by how much the nanny is paid or the amount of time she is with the family. The IRS has ruled definitively that caregivers are employees of the families for whom they work.

If you are only employing a nanny for a few months in the summer or for very part-time hours during the school year, you may not think you need to withhold taxes from your nanny’s wages, but you are most, likely mistaken.

If you pay your nanny more than $1,900 (2014) in a calendar year, you, as an employer, must meet the household employment tax withholding and reporting obligations. You are required to withhold payroll taxes from your nanny’s wages and then report and pay those taxes to the tax agencies quarterly. Before your nanny starts, have her fill out a w-4. This form helps determines how much will be withheld from your nanny’s paycheck. At the end of the year, your nanny should be sent a Form W-2 detailing her wages, as well as the taxes that she has pre-paid throughout the year.

Filing the necessary papers and to pay your nanny legally may seem like a hassle, but it is illegal for you—the employer—to fail to withhold taxes and file employment tax returns. Our friends at Breedlove and Associates, will take the stress out of paying your nanny legally and will educate you and help you take advantage of the tax breaks you may enjoy by doing so. Visit their website to learn how.

We hope you find this helpful. Please call ����AV for Kids St. Louis 314-725-5660 or ����AV for Kids Miami 305-256-5905 for your child care needs.

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