Seven Behavioral Interview questions and answers for child care workers

If you are going for an interview in the near future for a position in day care or to be a pre-school teacher, you might want to prepare yourself with some of the questions below. As with all behavioral interview questions, these are meant to make you uncomfortable, and the best way to answer them is to draw from your experience either in previous employment or from your training and practicums. Be as specific as possible and try and convey a sense of trustworthiness and confidence. 

1. What would you say is your worst quality and why?

What the interviewer is looking for is your body language and reaction. Ouch! I absolutely hate this. As a human services professional,  you want to convey a sense of  likability. The worst thing you can say is that you have no such quality. However, try to pick something fairly tam,  and then tell the interviewer you are working on it. Things not to talk about? Impatience or having a bad temper.  Maybe you could say that sometimes the kids push your buttons, but that you try to have a sense of humor about it. 


2. How do you think children at the various age groups should be disciplined? Why

The interviewer is looking for professional competence, even though this is a very subjective question. Draw from your experience, or if you have not had that much,  try and catch up on your reading from school where various experts would have weighed in on this topic. 

3. What do you think is most important in taking care of infants?
The interviewer wants to know that you are sincere and committed to your profession. Answer this question honestly, saying what you think and why. Give examples from your experience.

4. If two children were disagreeing over something and became physical, what would you do and how would you deal with the situation? 
The interviewer again is looking for your ability to respond promptly, to think on your feet and even to see to what extent you would go to. Would you intervene physically as well? This is a very hands-on job!

5. If there was a child whom just would not sleep at nap time what would you do?
The interviewer is looking for signs of creativity. Working with children demands a fair bit of 'making it up as you go along.  So be creative, and again draw from your experience. Have you done anything especially unusual that has worked?

6. How would you try to calm an infant if they were crying but they were not hungry, wet or sick?
What the interviewer is really asking is how might you respond if there were a possible crisis, where you might not know immediately what to do. Do you have strategies? If so, then say so. Would you call some to assist you?  Explain. Again, do the best you can with your experience. Your interviewer also wants to see how well you think on the spot.

7. If you had to deal with a parent each day whom just was not ever happy what would you do to make them happy?
The interviewer wants to see what kind of inter-personal skills you have. You may want to talk about being a good listener, making the parent feel like he/she has been heard, not reacting, being proactive and solution-oriented, and even giving the person the impression you like them (even if they don't like you)  and to ask for their input. 


Study these sample behavioral Interview questions and answers for child care workers. Hopefully they will help you prepare for your next job interview.