“The ottoman trick lasted all of five minutes here before turning into a launch pad.”
Yeah, my youngest treated the ottoman like a trampoline. I swear, these kids are part mountain goat. We tried those folding construction panels when we were redoing our bathroom—picked up a couple at the hardware store because I was desperate. They’re not pretty, but honestly? They worked better than any baby gate we tried. Heavy enough that our kid couldn’t move them (at least at toddler age), and they folded up when we didn’t need them.
Only thing is, they take up more space and you’ve got to watch for pinched fingers if you’re not careful setting them up. But compared to zip-tied shower curtains or drilling into the wall, it felt safer. Not exactly living room decor, but for a week or two during demo, I’ll take function over style.
The rearranged furniture just became an obstacle course here too... nothing soft was ever safe for long. Kid logic is wild.