What would you do if your kid wandered into a half-demo’d kitchen?

We tried a baby gate at first, but he just rattled it nonstop and honestly, it felt like a dare.

That’s exactly it—baby gates are basically an open invitation to test their engineering skills. Here’s what’s worked for me over the years:

- Sheet or blanket over the doorway, like you said. Out of sight, out of mind (sometimes).
- Shop-vac every single night. You’d be amazed what turns up—screws, bits of wire, a Lego I didn’t know we owned.
- Painter’s tape on cabinets and drawers. Not foolproof, but slows ‘em down.
- If they do sneak in, keep the sharp stuff double-checked and power tools unplugged.

Still, I swear hardware migrates on its own. Found a drywall anchor in my sock drawer once...