Parents Of Toddlers: How Do You Deal With Lying?

I sit my four yr old in a chair, and ask him over and over if he did such-and-such until he tells me the truth. They WANT to come clean, but are afraid that once they've gone down this road there's no going back. If you force them to confront the reality of the situation, and give them a chance to come clean, they usually will. Afterward comes cleaning up the mess (if there is one) and that is followed by either a time out or a .