The Shark's Coming

Whenever Mary's doing something that will hurt her, I always say something like 

"Mary, don't do that,  you'll get hurt ... and you'll cry". Adding that "you'll cry" part always seems to get her thinking and then she stops whatever she's doing. 

She's got the hang of this lately, because whenever I tell her not to do something, she continues with something like this -

Me-"Mary, don't touch that."

Mary -"it will fall down..."

    "and it will break..."

    "and you will cry...."

         ....

    "and the Shark will get you."

I have never threatened with a shark attack for any bad behavior - but every sequence of bad things around here has to end with "the Shark will get you." Maybe that's her own way of understanding the consequences of certain behaviors. A little extreme, but it works for her.