Collateral

Collateral: n. Assets pledged by a borrower to secure a loan or other credit, and subject to seizure in the event of default. also called security.

My 4 year old may just be the only child her age who understands this word as it has recently become a favorite of mine. Example?

Today Lil had dance class. I had already told her if she was a good girl we would go get doughnuts after her class was over. (She acted up and ended up not getting those doughnuts) Anyway- after the class was over I had to run an errand to drop of a cell phone that was not mine... Anyway- so we are on our way to drop off the phone when Lil starts throwing a fit. I told her to stop. She didn't listen. I told her to stop now or she was gonna be sorry. She threw a bigger fit. I finally grabbed her pony (a doll she got in her last happy meal) off the passenger seat next to me and said, "IF you don't cut it out RIGHT NOW I am gonna throw your pony out the window! Do you understand?!" (I KNOW! I am so MEAN!) She said something to the tune of "I am not answering you." And so I started rolling down the window... To which she responded, "NO! NO! My pony! No! Momma! Don't! MY PONY!" I rolled the window back up and asked again. "If you keep being naughty I am gonna toss the pony, do you understand?" And she said, "Yes, momma. Can I have my pony now?" And my response? "Nope. Collateral!"

((She did, eventually, get her pony back. And all is well in the world again...))