Melissa Gilbert was around nine years old when she first appeared in Little House on the Prairie and became a household name. Gilbert recently shared a throwback photo from even before that time, offering a rare glimpse into her childhood before moving to Walnut Grove with the Ingalls family.
Much of America watched Gilbert grow up throughout the better part of a decade on Little House. She continued acting – especially on television – after, but these days she’s also the proud founder of Modern Prairie, a brand dedicated to providing for and empowering women. It is through this brand that Gilbert is encouraging others to relieve simpler days and celebrate school with a smile.
Melissa Gilbert shares a throwback photo to her school days before ‘Little House on the Prairie’
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As August drew to a close, ushering in the first day of school, Gilbert took to Instagram to share a throwback photo from before she was known around the country as Half Pint. “Embracing the Back-to-School energy with a feel good flashback!” she captioned the post both on her personal page and that of Modern Prairie. “Modern Prairie Co-founders Melissa Gilbert and Nicole Haase take a delightful trip down memory lane, sharing their timeless school photos.”
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The caption accurately notes, “The contagious smiles and uncontainable excitement for this season remain unchanged.”
Gilbert was inspired by Jennifer Garner, who just the day before shared a picture of herself heading off to kindergarten, all in celebration of heading back to school. Gilbert, in her photo, can be seen with her long hair partially tied back in a ribbon, while she gives a small smile.
Uplifting the women of a modern prairie
Gilbert is using her platform as a national star to change the conversation surrounding women. She noticed a distinct lack of nuance, saying, “We’re either doddering, sweet old ladies or that horrible old shrew, stay away from her.” But the aftermath of the pandemic impressed upon her the importance of the little details, the smaller, overlooked points of life that make it so rich – and the empowerment of women plays a vital role in fueling all of that.
In creating Modern Prairie, Gilbert and her partner Nicole Hasse “not only wanted to create a retail space, but we wanted to elevate and promote female entrepreneurs, female makers and then also create an environment where women can share the things are going in their lives at this age, whether it’s transitioning into a new job, or children leaving the nest, or the hormonal changes our bodies are going through and the grief that comes with all of those things and the fear and a lot of women feel stuck.”
At the end of the day, “We wanted to create a place where women could talk to other women about it.”
Do you remember your first day of school?