Time Out

Here's how they work in our family.
Lola does something incredibly minor, but worthy of some good-old-fashioned-behavior-shaping (see, still using that degree in psychology!)
Mommy: "we do not (swat at friends/throw books/scream in the library/etc). If you do it again, you will have a time-out"
Lola stops the aforementioned offending behavior.
Lola: "time out"
Mommy: "No, no time out. You were a good listener and listened to mommy. You stopped (swatting at friends/throwing books/screaming in the library) so you don't have to have a time out"
Lola: (getting increasingly frustrated that she is being denied her proper time out) "time out!"

Mommy: "you don't need a time out. If you'd like a minute to sit by yourself you are welcome to do so."

Lola: (now full-blown crying for a time out) "tiiiiimeeeee ooooouuuuuttttt"

Finally I cave.  I pick her up and put her in a corner, still trying to convince her that it's not an actual time out.  She only quits crying once sitting in a corner. I think this particular discipline method may be backfiring on me. 

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