All About Piper and Griffin Sloan

Life after Little House on the Prairie has been all about family for Melissa Sue Anderson.

The actress, best known for her role as Mary Ingalls on the classic family show, shares two children with her husband Michael Sloan: daughter Piper and son Griffin.

Anderson shifted her focus from acting to motherhood after marrying the writer, producer and director — best known for his work on TV shows like The Equalizer and The X Bomber — in 1990.

The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Piper, around 1991, followed by their son Griffin, who was born around 1996. Some years later, Anderson and Sloan decided to relocate. The pair’s move to Canada in the early 2000s solidified the actress’ decision to step out of the spotlight, and the family members became Canadian citizens in 2007.

Anderson told PEOPLE in 1998 that besides the occasional appearance on Sloan’s projects, she was retired. The actress said, “I really don’t feel like I’m missing anything,” and added: “It’s a lot of work just taking care of the kids.”

Sloan has also celebrated his wife’s parenting, telling PEOPLE, “She’s wonderful with the kids. She’s constantly driving Piper to tennis lessons and piano lessons.” 

As Piper and Griffin got older, Anderson made occasional appearances on-screen, returning to acting in 2006 with the NBC miniseries 10.5: Apocalypse. She also published her memoir, The Way I See It, in 2010, which offered fans a glimpse into her life beyond Little House and detailed why she opted to put her career on hold to focus on her family.

Here is everything to know about Melissa Sue Anderson’s two children: Piper and Griffin.

Piper Sloan Harmon

Anderson and Sloan welcomed their daughter Piper around 1991. The following year, the new mom told The Toronto Star in 1992 that she “wouldn’t discourage” but also “wouldn’t encourage” her daughter to pursue acting.

Although she keeps a relatively private life, Piper has shared some personal moments on X and has been featured on Anderson’s social media accounts as well. In 2014, the proud mom posted a photo of herself and Piper enjoying a trip together.

“#tbt to a great weekend at the Genesee Country Village & Museum last month with my beautiful daughter Piper!” she wrote on Facebook.

Piper married husband Jeb Harmon in October 2016, and she has shared snippets of their life together. For their second wedding anniversary, Piper posted a photo from their nuptials on X and wrote, “Can’t believe this was 2 years ago already.”

She and Jeb have been together since February 2012 and have gone on many adventures through the years. Piper has shared moments from vacations, ball games and more on X, and even documented their engagement in August 2015.

Piper holds a master’s degree in international communication from American University and has built a career in the nonprofit sector, specializing in managing and expanding educational programs, according to her LinkedIn.

Currently, Piper serves as the senior manager of hematology recruitment and retention at the American Society of Hematology (also known as the ASH). She also uses her social media to promote various causes she participates in, most notably the NYC Lymphoma Walk.

Griffin Sloan

Anderson and Sloan welcomed their second child, a son named Griffin, around 1996.

The couple’s son is actively pursuing law. According to his LinkedIn profile, he holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from New York University, where he studied from 2014 to 2017.

Directly after completing his undergraduate degree, Griffin attended Cardozo School of Law, where he earned his law degree in 2020. Currently, Griffin is a litigation associate at Stein Adler Dabah & Zelkowitz LLP.

Though he has kept a low public profile, Griffin occasionally makes appearances on his mom’s social media. After he graduated in 2017, Anderson posted a picture of her son on X in his cap and gown, captioning the photo, “Griff the graduate.”