# Stealing candy from a baby. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 26, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084 "2011-03-26T20:36:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/1 "2011-03-26T20:36:54Z")
That was so easy, it was like “stealing candy from a baby.” Except…babies don’t really eat candy, do they? Don’t most people feed babies either milk, baby formula, or (later) baby food in jars? I have never in my life seen a baby eating candy. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/2 "2011-03-26T20:38:45Z")
“Baby” can actually mean a child up to, say, 5 years of age. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/3 "2011-03-26T20:38:51Z")
“Baby” in popular venacular can also mean young toddlers which do like candy. You’re having an attack of the literals. Get a pillow, and a cup of tea and lay back. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/4 "2011-03-26T20:54:00Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I have never in my life seen a baby eating candy. [Sample literature on the subject](http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=baby+poprocks&aq=f). Note that most of these have been peer reviewed. ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/5 "2011-03-26T21:07:25Z")
But won’t most children fight to keep their candy? That actually sounds like a fairly daunting task. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/6 "2011-03-26T21:10:43Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > But won’t most children fight to keep their candy? That actually sounds like a fairly daunting task. [Sample literature on the subject](http://www.howmanyfiveyearoldscouldyoutakeinafight.com/). Note that live trials have yet to commence. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/7 "2011-03-26T21:14:21Z")
Mythbusters did this a couple seasons ago. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEmahvffdDg) ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2011, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/8 "2011-03-26T23:05:55Z")
You can steal ice cream from a child, if you plan your getaway right. [Louis CK and a child](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO1KsU1rG7s) ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/9 "2011-03-27T00:05:03Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > But won’t most children fight to keep their candy? That actually sounds like a fairly daunting task. No, evidently they’ll start crying like…you guessed it –babies. Photographer **Jill Greenberg** did a spread on young children crying up a storm which led to many questioning how she achieved such an authentic display. Her technique? Offer the children candy and then abruptly take it back from them. The results can be found [here](http://arts.guardian.co.uk/pictures/0,,1830504,00.html). ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/10 "2011-03-27T00:16:44Z")
The real question is: What’s easier to do? Take candy from a baby or take Tabasco from a baby? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/11 "2011-03-27T02:07:28Z")
Based on my own experience, it’s actually harder to take Tabasco from a baby. Toddlers know two words: “No!” and “Mine!” If they glom on to something they like (or think they like), it’s a bitch to get it away from them. That Tabasco would light their nose hair on fire is secondary; a toddler who thinks the bottle is interesting will fight to keep it. However, they tend to share food, so they may give up their candy willingly. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/12 "2011-03-27T08:06:35Z")
Stealing candy from a baby _is_ easy until they catch on to the safe keeping method of sticking it in their hair. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/13 "2011-03-27T08:19:36Z")
> [@Sr\_Siete](#): > > But won’t most children fight to keep their candy? That actually sounds like a fairly daunting task. That’s when you kneecap the little bastards. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/14 "2011-03-27T14:18:12Z")
IMO, one of the _most fun_ things you can do involving candy and a baby is to give a baby his/her first taste of cotton candy! Obviously, you have to wait until the baby is 1YO or thereabouts. Then you tear off a bit of cotton candy, pop it into the baby’s mouth, and watch as they first smile at the sweetness of it, then get all flustered and confused because it just. . .disappeared! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/15 "2011-03-27T18:22:10Z")
As usual _[the Family Circus](http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6213/familycircus0771.jpg)_ has already touched on this issue ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/16 "2011-03-28T02:11:31Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > As usual _[the Family Circus](http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6213/familycircus0771.jpg)_ has already touched on this issue It says I have to register at Image Shack to see that. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/17 "2011-03-28T02:16:49Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > As usual _[the Family Circus](http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/6213/familycircus0771.jpg)_ has already touched on this issue \*The Simpsons \*also. ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/18 "2011-03-28T02:38:57Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > \*The Simpsons \*also. There is a distinct lack of youtube videos, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/19 "2011-03-28T02:39:43Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > As usual _the Family Circus_ has already touched on this issue > [@Kozmik](#): > > \*The Simpsons \*also. that one wasn’t so easy. ---
**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stealing-candy-from-a-baby/576084/20 "2011-03-28T03:46:21Z")
Sure babies don’t eat candy - and thus would be easier to steal from, since they are less vigilant about protecting said candy, should they find themselves in possession of such a comestible. Now if the saying was “easy as stealing a binky from a baby”, first hand experience would compel me to call bullshit.