The Magic Number

I guess I do it because my Mom and Dad did it to me as a kid. When my kids are mildly misbehaving, I threaten them and count to the magic number - three. My kids are 8, 5 and 2. So far counting to the magic number has worked, mostly. I think Spencer can call my bluff, but he rarely does. Maggie freaks out when I'm in between the numbers one and two. Evan is just now catching on to the system.

I wonder why counting to three works with kids? Isn't it kind of strange? What do they think is going to happen after three? I guess I may have sat them in time out once or twice or something... but they way my kids act, it's like I'm gonna beat them or something!

I don't use the counting method when they are REALLY in trouble. I use it in situations like when I want them to stop doing something annoying. Here's an example from my evening.

Tonight Maggie and Evan were in the tub. They had been cleaned and wanted to play, they always want to play. As I was folding laundry I could tell from the noise level that they playing was getting out of hand.  When I walked back into the bathroom,  the water was, as Evan said "flying out of the bathtub."As you can imagine, the culprit was Evan. So after multiple threats to him, I started counting.

Me: ONE
(pause)
Me: TWO
(pause)
Maggie: Two-and-a-half!!

Pretty sure the little mother hen has caught on to my threats. I couldn't get to the number three through my giggles.

Does anyone else use this method to alert your kids to on oncoming parental wrath?