Your gonna have to put everything away and I mean everything. You think it’s bad now wait until he’s a toddler. He’s gonna touch whatever he can until it’s broken lol so just put up the important stuff for a few years or locked in a special room and lay toys around for him to find I pritty much redecorated with toys when raising my 3 baby’s lol it’s a small yet large compromise we make as a parent lol

Tantrums are how kids test limits, so I could understand wanting to limit him to spaces where there's no need to remind him what he can and can't do. Parenting involves a lot of trial and error while also trying to keep sane. You reached out for advice and that's what any good mother would do.

You're not being a bad mom to put up a baby gate and to close him in his own personal space for appropriate time frames and needs to keep him safe. If you do it for extended periods of time or to be "lazy" then yes, that is bad. But while cooking, using the restroom, a shower, things like that, there's nothing wrong with it. My girls had a gate that kept them in their room with access to their bathroom that was used as needed. They were kept safe, learned boundaries, and I kept my sanity. Now they are 2.5 and almost 5 and no gate needed. Used the right way it's ok. But again don't let it be a "leave him in there" kind of thing bc that would not be ok. Baby gates are made for a reason. But do introduce him to things and start teaching him now what is ok and what is not ok to touch. His curiosity will eventually lead to lots of touching. So better to start teaching early. But to keep him safe employ the gate and see how that goes. We have a child safe, but not a child proofed home. Hugs mama! As one thing gets easier something else will get harder. But we will all make it through! Here's to safe and happy, healthy children!

No table. He’s got a computer desk in the dining room (it’s an apartment) and the gaming stuff in the living room. I’ve tried letting my son wander he didn’t always have the gate I was just having to chase him around retrieving decor or controllers or keep him away from the sliding door blinds and such. He wouldn’t even touch his toys 😅

@taylor.bush29 if no one's using the controller, let him play with it, but remind him to be gentle. All my kids when they were babies/toddlers would go through phases where they NEEDED to have the controller in hand. Once you let them play with it, they get it out of their system and it's no longer this mysterious, forbidden object lol. My daughter would "help" play video games with the controller that wasnt on and they all had a blast.

ETA: at the end of the day, it's better to give your child space. Yeah, it sucks having to chase him around and remind him what he can and cant play with (my kids were fascinated with power cords for a week and that almost sent me to the nut house), but it's the only way he'll learn.