I reached out to Jan & Jul about trying out their Gro-with-me sunhat for my two adventuring kids. After we were bitten alive on our hike at Swift Creek in Valemount, I knew we needed something to protect the heads of my little ones from bugs and the sun.
I’ll be the first to admit, I know nothing about hats. For the past two years, I have failed at encouraging my children to wear hats. Having never really worn a hat, I didn’t quite get it. However, hats are important. They keep us warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and protect our head.
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I updated this blog post because now I own a baby boutique and we sell these amazing hats. I have continued to use these hats with my kids and have bought many more as their heads grew and changed. We bring in a wide variety of Jan & Jul products at Nest & Sprout and would love for you to check it out if you’re in Prince George or across Canada.
Jan & Jul is a Vancouver-based company started by Florence Luo that creates and designs beautiful products for outside kids – from hats to rash guards, Jan & Jul is designed with YOU in mind. According to their Facebook page, Jan & Jul produces their products in small-scale operations in the Vancouver area or in China (Binzhou and Nanjing) without child labor or sweatshop operations.
Keeping Hats on Toddlers
Again, I’m not a hat-wearing toddler expert. But, over the course of the last couple of weeks, I’ve gathered some practical advice about convincing toddlers to wear hats. Here are 5 tips to keep a hat on a toddler:
- Start Early. I’m trying to get my littlest to wear a hat every time in an attempt to get her used to it as a normal. The toddler has never really worn a hat and immediately rejects the sensation.
- Find a Chill Toddler. I’ve decided some toddlers are just so chill it doesn’t bother them.
- Make it a Game. This doesn’t really work but rather just gives me a silly toddler who hates his hat. But other bloggers/moms/parents and toddlers who wear hats suggest this might work.
- Everyone Wears a Hat. If other kids and adults are wearing hats, my toddler is more inclined to keep theirs on. This mama bear now needs a hat. Give me a suggestion below.
- Buy a Jan & Jul Gro-with-me Sunhat. Seriously, let’s talk about this awesome hat below. Jan & Jul is a Vancouver-based company that creates and designs beautiful outdoor products for kids, including hats. The Gro-with-me sunhat is perfect for growing toddlers, as it features an adjustable strap and a chinstrap with a breakaway clip for safety. It also has a wide brim for optimal sun protection and is made from breathable, quick-dry fabric. Plus, Jan & Jul produces their products in small-scale operations in the Vancouver area or in China (Binzhou and Nanjing) without child labor or sweatshop operations. It’s a win-win!
Jan & Jul Gro-with-me Sunhat
This beautiful large floppy sunhat is the perfect addition to any baby/toddler/child’s summer wardrobe. The Jan & Jul Gro-with-me sunhat has almost everything I want in a hat and is adorable on. We frequently received compliments and admiration towards the hat when out and about. I measured the kids’ heads and ordered the size as indicated on the size chart on the website. Little Miss has a Small (Pink) and Little Man a Large (Navy).
The Jan & Jul Gro-with-me sunhat features a wide floppy brim with a toggle to adjust the size of the hat’s head circumference. Tighten or loosen the toggle to adjust the hat for a snug fit. This allows the hat to be the perfect fit even with a growing tot. The toggle adjusts super easily without loosening. The toggle also gives a good visual to knowing where the back of the head is. The sizing of the hat and brim is amazing, and if I was to rate this feature it would come out 10/10 in awesomeness.
The Jan & Jul Gro-with-me sunhat also features a chinstrap with a breakaway and toggle. The toggled chinstrap adjusts in size and clips into an easy breakaway on the side of the hat. While I admire the safety concern, I found the clip broke away too easily and often my toddler would have more fun playing with the clip than the functionality of the clip. I give the toggle chinstrap a solid 3/10 in functionality, design, and effectiveness.
Additionally, the Jan & Jul Gro-with-me sunhats are rated with a 50+UPF and constructed with 100% cotton. These lightweight hats provide a cool sun-safe space for toddling tots and growing infants.
Final Verdict
We would definitely recommend the Jan & Jul Gro-with-me sun hats and have already been raving about them to our friends and family. I will likely be ordering Little Miss the next size next year! I try my best not to forget them and have them now stashed in my van’s base camp of “all-the-things-you-need-with-kids.”
Did it Stay on a Toddler: Kind of. If he pulls really hard it comes off. Did it Stay on Baby: Always.
If you are local to Prince George, you can pick them up at Nest & Sprout, the baby and Childrens Boutique that I purchased in 2022 and now love to bring you my favourite products like these hats!
Starting them early makes a huge difference for sure! My 2 year old rarely had anything on her head and now she takes off whatever we try to put on. I’ve learned my lesson and have been keeping a sun hat on my 5 month old regularly, plus a bonnet for Sundays.
Two out of my three babes kept hats on with no problem. One was a trickster despite a mellow attitude overall! Now my toddler loves to wear sunhats. Thank goodness!
Luckily both my kids have been pretty good about wearing hats. My son even demands a hat before we go outside sometimes! Twinklebelle Gro-with-me sun hats look amazing. I will keep the brand in mind when my third arrives later this year. I will need another hat come spring!
My kids simply refuse to put any type of cap or hat. I guess I was late to develop that habit. You are right about starting early. That’s the key.
Sun hats are so important but my kid doesn’t wear it! Defo got to start from a young age
I wish some of these tricks worked with infants! It’s hard to start early when she won’t even keep it on now!
This hat sounds awesome ! I have been putting hats on both my girls since birth because I was afraid if I didnt they would hate them! I love how this hat grows with them!
I’ve had the same trouble with my toddlers. My youngest loves to wear hats because I wear hats. I like how the tightness can be adjusted. That’s a great feature.
My youngest it was always a struggle to keep at hat on him …
I can’t get either of my kids to ever keep hats on. I like the Find a chill toddler idea.
We cloth diaper and my husband has been putting diapers on our daughter’s head since day 1, He thinks it’s funny and she doesn’t mind. She’s 6 months now and wears a sun hat with no issues, he thinks the diaper trick worked, lol!
Very cute. My son wears hats because so does his Peepaw. I think they do a good job of sun protection without the chemicals of sunscreen.
Yep. Start early. And if that fails, there’s always glue!
these look pretty neat-My son won’t wear one if it’s not necessary. if its cold or too sunny, then he has no problem. but for fashion, forget it
Oh, such great looking hats!! Must have felt like an achievement kids keeping their hats on. Great tips too.