To ask to start in September rather than August

[Boystomenslowdanceatweddings]

I'm changing career and have been accepted to start a placement based course which starts at the beginning of July. The first few weeks will be remote virtual learning and then we start our placement on the first week of August.
I pretty much assumed that it would start in September as with most universities. Now, I'm worried.
I have two primary aged children. I usually work through the summer holidays but I am admittedly a bit all over the place due to childcare. I often have to drive for over an hour to drop my children to various places and so I will be doing this on top of an hour long commute to my new placement. Plus my daughter has additional needs and often is upset and hard to drop off at holiday clubs.
I can't afford to pay for the one she really likes more than two days a week especially as I'm not going to be earning much for the next twelve months
Would I be unreasonable to ask to start the placement in September? I mean I know it's unlikely as the whole of the cohort are starting in August. I just worry that I'm in the same placement for a year and I really want them to see me at my best, not my scattiest!
I deferred last year and the year before and they told me that i can't defer again (obviously). There's only 160 places offered to the whole country and I don't want to seem ungrateful, I'm just so worried of mucking it up.
No else one around to help unfortunately as their dad can't drive and works ten hour shifts in retail. There's a holiday club next door to us but it finishes at school time and I don't know what I could do after that (nanny?)

Well there's no harm in asking but do get a back up plan in case they say no. Could the holiday club with wraparound care from a childminder help?

A reliable uni student as a home help who will pick up from the club next door?

You can ask. They’ll probably say no.
You need a back up plan.

we start our placement on the first week of August

Is it healthcare based?

If the whole cohort starts on this date every year, then it’s really unlikely they’ll make an exception for you. If you have deferred twice and cannot defer again, then you need to accept it’s either solve your childcare issue for this year (if it is a temporary training-only problem) or not do this career.

The obvious solution is for your husband to take 2 weeks annual leave off work so he can do childcare. And then beg someone or pay someone to do after childcare club next door (bring them home and mind) for remaining time.

You’ve got a long time to sort this.

I know. I suppose it's more about my insecurity that I'm usually a bit more harassed looking and forgetful in the summer holidays. I work 9-5 and longer outside of the home in term time no problem but with no students around (school holidays) and no local 8-6 holiday clubs, it's just going to take a bit of re-jigging.

You have 6 months for their dad to learn to drive, that’s one option

I doubt very much they would defer until September, and if you have already deferred the course twice and are now asking for a deferment of your placement I would be questioning your commitment

its possibly a case of sorting childcare, or not doing the course

Are you a single parent? Is that why DC’s dad isn’t the first and obvious solution?

"Can't drive and works ten hour shifts in retail"

but as a PP has suggested it would make sense for him to take a couple of weeks holiday: it's not like Christmas when holidays are a nightmare for retail.

@NoSquirrels no it's because the summer holidays are his second busiest time in retail, he is the sole employee apart from the business owner and he can't drive. Plus we really need his wage as I'm going to be a student for a year!

Just thought about an au pair!

I’d look at whether you might get a teenage neighbour to commit to the after holiday club pick up for a couple of weeks.

You can't ask to start a placement a month later than everyone else, it's just not possible.

You need to find some way to arrange childcare. A university student perhaps?

To be fair they suggested I deferred both times as they couldn't find me a placement closer than 50 miles away. I couldn't relocate so they suggested I deferred to be top of the list for the placements this year.

You have deferred twice and now want to start later than everyone else, if I was in charge I would be questioning your suitability for this course.

What are going to do in future regards summer holidays.

You seem to keep putting barriers up to starting this course.

Sounds like they have already been pretty accommodating in arranging the placement. Are there any staff at the school who maybe prepared to do some babysitting during the holidays or know of a suitable childminder who could offer childcare? Will you get any uc if on one wage?

@TestingTestingWonTooFree I struggle to understand MN's willingness to use teenagers as childcare. Posters seem so into safety and seeing risks everywhere yet quite willing to let older children look after younger ones for hours at a time. I wouldn't feel comfortable but maybe I worked in a social work related job for too long.

Is this issue going to recur during the summers when you are trained, or is it a temporary only training placement issue?

Why can’t your DH drive? Medical reasons, OK, but otherwise that’s a big strain on you and if he can learn, he should.

I’d look for a uni student for childcare this summer, in addition to the til 3pm club next door and DH taking some annual leave. He’s not self-employed, and he’d be giving a lot of notice to the owner to find a solution.

Whatever you do it’s going to mean an initial outlay - think of this as part of your training costs. Do NOT run yourself ragged and sell yourself short, your training is the priority for a short time.

What about a university student in their twenties, or a college student studying childcare?

Don’t then. We had a great babysitter in the vicar’s 19 year old daughter. I considered it a very low risk strategy.

@NoSquirrels no not really as I will hopefully find a post closer to home. Usually in summer it's not so bad as I work so close to home. So even an hour long commute to a holiday club which opens 8-6 is doable as I only have to go one way. This could potentially be one hour to the holiday club and then another hour in a separate direction to get to the placement.

Just thought of another option which would be to find a holiday club near the placement and take the kids in the car in the morning!

@TestingTestingWonTooFree it's different if you know them but just the idea of putting an advert out for anyone and then trusting them with my child is a bit

I have to say that casual childcare only works if you have a back-up plan. If you will be relying on students, I would say be prepared to be dropped at short notice if something better/more fun turns up nearer the time. Maybe if you are getting someone for whom childcare is a career ( so references matter) you might be OK, but maybe a temporary childminder/nanny might be a better idea.
Otherwise, an au pair if you have space might work?

I don’t know how people don’t strangle their other half’s who “don’t drive”.

@whattodo1975 I know more women who don't than men. It's funny how less men seem to mind it, part of me feels it's a control thing.

How old are the DC? If school aged honestly, a post GSCE or sixth former could easily pick them up from the holiday club & watch them/play with them a couple of hours.