All inclusive tips for a newbie

[absolutelyknackeredcow]

Hello all,
Never done AI before but have just booked Aliathon village for May half term 2022. Two kids 9 & 11.
We normally do self catering abroad or city breaks but the last two UK breaks weren't a holiday at all for me or DH (weather / lots of organising / cooking ) and we both came home absolutely shattered. The kids also got a bit bored - there is only so much trudging around in the wet that they can take.
Tip really welcome - especially on how to maximise the relaxation time for me ..

[absolutelyknackeredcow]

Some great tips here

[WildImaginings]

I don't have kids myself but have done a lot of AI holidays - I used to like alternating between full on, do it all yourself, walking all day city breaks and then have the next holiday a week AI just to relax. Some have been with family/friends children and I can also remember holidays when I was a child really well so some of the tips should still hold!

Kids club, if they go at the start then they will likely love it. I used to love kids club and I'd make friends who I'd spend all of my time around the pool with.

As a previous poster said, don't stress about junk food and fizzy drinks etc. Your children will very likely start to tone things down and self regulate after the first couple of days. Knowing you can get an ice cream or Fanta whenever you like is a huge novelty!

If budget allows and you're close to the town, I like to have 1 or 2 nights of the week to go out to eat somewhere local, look around the shops etc. Look on trip advisor for good restaurants near to your hotel/near to the centre. It's a good way to break up any monotony, a chance to look around the shops and also a chance to eat some lovely food.

On the days when you're just in the hotel- don't be regimented, just go with the flow. Grab a snack, have a shandy, relax. Don't stress about missing lunch, there will always be snacks available. If you want an early dinner one night, you can!

As much as I love city breaks and planning them to within an inch of their life (!) there is something to be said for a week AI where you don't have to be somewhere at X time and you can just relax.

[absolutelyknackeredcow]

Thanks for all great tips so far.
That's a good idea to do a reckie on the first morning and agree what they can and can't do on their own. The 11 year old is a great, incredibly competent swimmer who swims weekly so no worries about her. The younger one is fine but I can't get her into local classes so me and DH are going to take her every week so we can relax a bit.
I chose a place with a kids club for 9-15 so hopefully they will want to go. Will say they have to go early in the holiday so they have tried it but hopefully they will like it so much they will want to go again

[SoThisisMe]

Haven't been to that specific hotel but AI in general...the first time I took my DC they were a couple of years younger than yours but their minds were blown at the idea of as much fizzy pop/milkshakes/snacks etc as they wanted and they did go a big crazy for the first 48 hours before they began to self regulate.
So my biggest learning was to relax and let them get on with it
Find out what they can help themselves to and encourage them to order for themselves at the pool bar. If they can do that and they make a couple of friends - highly likely in school holidays - they will have a ball and you can relax.
I also depth checked the pools and there was 1 that was too deep for them, the rest they could stand up in and all were lifeguarded. So they were banned from the deep pool unless I was with them and I knew they were safe in the others. Not that I didn't keep an eye out, but I didn't automatically start worrying if they went out if sight.
Mine didn't want to go to the kids club as felt it too babyish but they did join in and enjoy a couple of the pool based activities so worth checking the notice boards.
We tended to split days between the pool bar and the beach/beach bar which they seemed to enjoy and broke up the week with outings to the old town when we went to Spain and the markets when we went to Turkey.
Have a great time!

[Seeline]

Encourage the DCs to go to the kids club.

Then you don't have to do anything other than regular trios to the bar and which ever eatery you choose for each meal. The DCs can get their own drinks and ice creams. Partake in the evening entertainment and you need never leave the hotel complex.

If that's what you want.