Let Your Yes be Yes: On Making Promises

This post was written in partnership with Johnson's Baby and The Motherhood. Opinions are my own.

What does it mean to keep a promise?  The Bible says "But let your statement be, 'Yes, yes ' or 'No, no'" (Matthew 5:37).  We don't say we will do things we can't do, and we try to never commit ourselves to goals that we know we won't meet.  Promises, or vows, are used in our most treasured life events; marriage is the perfect example of a life lived through promise!  I know that as a mom, a blogger, and a person, I often fail in this endeavor. My imperfect is never as apparent as when I overcommit or overpromise in my attempts to make others happy.

I have learned that it is best to keep promises to only the most important of matters.  I no longer promise to take the kids to the park, as it could rain.  I didn't promise to give up caffeine when I was pregnant with the babies, as I know that I would need my strong cup of joe each morning.   I can, however, promise that I will do my very best to keep them safe and help them grow up to be strong and happy adults. I do promise to love them forever and ever -- as it's a commitment I can be sure I can keep!

Johnson's Baby, a brand we use in our home every day, has taken the spirit of making promises -- important ones -- that they know they can keep.  The latest example is in their renewed efforts to help moms feel like the best moms they can be.  While their products have always been safe, they took a stand and changed their formulas to keep up with the demands of today's more informed parent.  How did they do this?  By meeting their 2013 Safety and Care Commitment to remove formaldehyde-releasing preservatives and reduce traces of 1,4 dioxane from all of their baby products, everywhere around the world.

As if this isn't cool enough, they also gave up the use of parabens in many of their newest products -- which is sooner than they had originally planned! While not all of the new products are on store shelves, everywhere, they soon will be, meaning my promise to give the best care to my kids is something I don't even have to think about when it comes to bubble baths, diaper changes, and treatment of dry skin.

This video below says it all.


How do you feel about making promises to your kids? Would you say that you are careful about those commitments you make?