An Appalachian Mama’s Guide
We live in a fast-paced, technology driven world, and parenting these days isn’t getting any easier with the rise of the information age. While modern advances are extremely valuable tools, sometimes we forget the most important things of all. As humans, we need to pace ourselves.
My goal is to help families slow down and recenter. I believe we need to get back to what matters–family, faith, and nature. Multiple studies have shown that being in constant motion is not good for the mental and emotional health of children. One of the best ways to combat this problem is to find time to spend together in the outdoors. It has become a proven fact that time outdoors, particularly when completed as a family, helps children develop emotionally, socially, and physically.
The purpose of this blog is to help families, especially mamas, find ways to get their kids active and engaged in outdoor activities. Sometimes this is hard for mamas, because information about outdoor activities is often written from a male perspective. One of the sections of this blog is dedicated to helping women feel more confident and empowered to participate in outdoor adventures.
It is my hope that you will find some useful information to help your family rediscover the natural wonder and beauty of nature. I want to help you raise up healthy, kind, and humble humans!
Rebecca Traugh
Personal Blogger
About Me:
My name is Rebecca Traugh, and I am a mom, stepmom, and outdoorswoman in rural West Virginia. I am married to my loving husband Andrew.
Pursuing the outdoors runs true in my blood, and my father started teaching me skills from a very early age. Learning survival and self-reliance skills has strengthened my life both physically and mentally. The outdoors has taught me lessons I couldn’t learn anywhere else.
Through the years, I have had to learn many lessons by experience, as there is not much information geared towards women available. There are a unique set of challenges that a woman must face in the wilderness. It is my hope to share what I have learned with other women who choose to pursue the outdoors.
I have taught students of all ages in a public school setting since 2010. One recurring problem I see is that children have trouble with perseverance, resilience, and social/emotional skills. I have found that one method that works particularly well to combat this problem is nature therapy. I would like to help families find ways to include more nature into their routines at home to help their children develop into more balanced human beings.
Popular Topics
Wild and Wonderful Recipes
These recipes are tried and family-approved. Short on time? I got you. Short on money? Yep, got you. Picky kids? No problem (me too)! Here is a collection of some of my favorite recipes. You will find recipes that include how to use your wild-sourced bounties (fish, venison, foraging finds), as well as family favorites using ingredients from your local grocery store.
Mountain State Mama’s Family Blog
Reclaim family time! Spending time as a family is now more important than ever. On this blog, you will find some great ideas for keeping the family engaged (and spark a love for being outside)!
Outdoor Knowledge
You don’t have to hunt big game or go backpacking for days to be an outdoorswoman (but if you do, that’s awesome). Whether you enjoy hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, or even just taking a walk, all you need is self-confidence, some planning skills, and determination.
