Some background:
We moved to the farm in December 2003. Ronald proposed in February 2004, and our wedding was scheduled for the last weekend of November that year, with the guest farm set to open on 1 December 2004.
By March, though, the stress was too much. We decided to postpone the wedding and focus on getting the business off the ground.
In September 2004 we were suddenly faced with the possibility of having a baby. Although it turned out to be a false alarm, we were both surprised by how disappointed we felt. So, we decided to try for a child, expecting it to take at least 6 months to a year. It took less than 6 weeks!
We welcomed Matthew Ronald Watson around midday on Tuesday, 16 August 2005, at the Medi Clinic in Nelspruit, about 140 km from home.
We chose not to learn the gender beforehand and were thrilled to have the son I had prayed so hard for (I always knew I deserved a teenage daughter and prayed fervently for sons).
Early Years and Education
Matthew has grown up with both parents at home—something we feel incredibly blessed to experience. We also realized early on that we had to balance this with making sure our kids had a social education. Matt started attending Kleuterskool in Lydenburg when he was 2.
As an English-speaking family in a largely Afrikaans community, we faced the challenge of deciding which language to educate him in. We ultimately chose English, as neither of us felt confident enough in Afrikaans to help with homework beyond a certain grade.
Homeschooling wasn’t an option either; with the farm’s demands and the potential strain on our relationship, we decided against it.
Matthew started Grade R at Laerskool Lydenburg in the English class, enjoying school, particularly the group of friends he moved up with from crèche.
However, after some academic struggles and large class sizes having a negative impact on his learning, we made the tough decision to have him repeat Grade 3, which was hard on him socially.
We eventually moved him to a smaller school in Dullstroom, where a different teaching approach helped him overcome his reading difficulties. As that school grew rapidly, we looked for an environment that suited our needs better.
The boys transitioned to a cottage school that used the Impact IEB syllabus. The smaller classes and personalized attention allowed Matthew to thrive academically.
When he started in Grade 4, the school had just 19 kids, growing to about 35 by the time he completed Grade 7.
High School and Boarding Life
Matthew started high school in 2020 at Uplands College in White River, boarding as a weekly student.
The transition wasn’t easy, and just as he was adjusting, COVID-19 hit, bringing him home for four months.
Returning to hostel life with pandemic restrictions made it even harder for him to settle in.
Despite the challenges, repeating a year turned out to be a blessing.
He’s been able to have his driver’s license throughout his matric year, giving him the freedom to drive himself and his younger brother to and from school every week and even have a bit of a social life, which is not so easy when you live so far from your friends.
The Road Ahead
Matthew is currently in his matric year, with prelims starting this Saturday and finals just around the corner.
Next year, he’ll be heading to Gauteng to start his studies in diesel mechanics while living with his grandmother.
It will be an exciting new chapter as he explores life in the city.
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