A rose by any other name...will listen to you

Sam has gotten VERY good at ignoring.  You'd think we weren't even in the room.  It can instantly make one feel invisible.  Jeremy and I have tried several tactics, but the one that works 100% of the time is to call her by something that she is not.  For instance,

"Samantha, time to get out of the tub! Come on, hop on out please."

"....." 

"Sam, out. Now."

"...."

*sigh* "Mermaid, time to get out."

"Oh! Yes, I am a mermaid. Say 'hi mermaid' mommy!  I need to dry my tail!"

Over the next few minutes she transformed back and forth from girl to mermaid to a cat to a cat-mermaid.  

I wonder if this could work on my students...