'I swore I'd never do all-inclusive holidays until I had a child. These are the best ones.'

Hi, my name is Evie and I have a confession: for most of my travel life I refused to stay at all-inclusive resorts.

My lingering backpacker mindset made me think that travel had to be earned, that a great holiday was a reward for all the anxiety of planning, list-ticking and being the family concierge.

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"I couldn't think of anything worse," I scoffed. "It's just lazy. Where's the fun in having everything done for you?"

Clearly, I was delusional.

Because everyone knows there is SO MUCH FUN in having everything done for you, especially when you're a mum — and if it includes having your children taken care of too, then you've hit mum's nirvana of holidays.

If you've never experienced an all-inclusive resort holiday, you could be forgiven for immediately picturing Kellerman's and awkward family activities on big green lawns.

Or you may think — like I used to — that staying all-inclusive is a bit of a cheat move… is travel really travel if the only effort you have to make is whipping out your credit card?

Turns out, yes. Yes it is.

In fact, it's better than you could imagine.

And while all-inclusive can be a little daggy and orchestrated, it's all part of the fun and joy that comes with having absolutely no responsibilities.

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Group dancing is now one of my favourite things to do at Club Med (to the extreme that I will hunt it out so I can join in), and don't get me started on the choreographed aqua aerobics in the swimming pool (thank you Club Med for bringing male aerobics instructors out of the 80s and placing them poolside).

The joy of not having any pressure to make the holiday a success is life-changing.

Instead of list-ticking responsibility there is freedom, Me Time replaces "watch me, mum" and instead of sunscreen and snack time there is the strange feeling of Actually Having Time To Yourself.

You just can't put a price on it — well actually you can, and you pay it all upfront and then once you arrive, it feels like THE WHOLE HOLIDAY IS FREE!

Image: supplied.

The reason you have time for yourself is because, on all-inclusive resort holidays, absolutely everything is done for you and included in the price you pay before you go — from fabulous dining and restaurants to the bar (all of it!), activities from snorkel trips and trapeze, fitness classes, ski lessons, sailing and craft to entertainment, live music and stage shows.

Most importantly, the best all-inclusive resorts have amazing kid's clubs that include so much more than what you could imagine: like ski school.

I first booked a snow trip to the all-inclusive Club Med Tomamu in Japan just so my daughter Em could learn how to ski while I watched her from the lounge and sipped coffees with sneaky shots of Baileys hidden inside.

I didn't know the first thing about skiing, so I booked here after reading that the Club Med team would do everything for me. And it was true. I didn't have to learn a thing!

All I had to do was drop Em at Kids Club and the team members would dress her, get her boots on and skis sorted and take her out for group lessons.

Image: supplied.

They'd then bring her and the other kids in for lunch together and they'd play and watch a movie before setting off for an afternoon ski session.

She made friends, had the time of her life (she is still connected to the kids she has made here in ski school and later, teen club) and they were active and energised every single day.

Meanwhile, I soaked in the onsen, reclined on the lounges overlooking the slopes and watched deliriously happy parents come in from epic ski sessions sans kids.

A happy and joyful mum and dad means happier kids and a happier holiday for everyone!

In the afternoon, we would spend a few hours making snowmen, we'd have dinner together, she would run off with her friends again and then we would watch the evening show.

Image: supplied.

It was relaxing, restorative and my brain felt… empty.

The metal holiday checklist was gone.

Of course, all-inclusive pricing can give you a heart attack when you first see it.

But you really don't have to apply the "Girl Maths" theory very hard at all to see the benefits of paying off your holiday completely before you take it (and not having to pay for a thing once you're there).

You could literally travel to your resort without a wallet.

But the most important thing I get from my all-inclusive resort holidays? Time.

Time to myself, time to enjoy with my Em stress-free and time to just be.

It's what we all need when we holiday — and having everything done for you while staying in a fancy resort really isn't that bad at all.

When she is not reclining in all-inclusive resorts, Evie hosts women-only group trips at @mumpacktrips and shares her travels at @mumpacktravel.

Planning your next family holiday? Explore more of Mamamia's guides to the best family-friendly destinations:

• 'Everyone thinks we're in Bali, but this hidden spot is just a short drive from Sydney.'

• 'We've done Japan twice as a family. This is the guide I wish I had the first time.'

• 'I packed 1 suitcase to go travelling for months with 2 toddlers. This is how I did it.'

Feature image: Supplied.