I Have a Houdini Child!

He is old enough to "train". We didn't baby proof and taught all the kids with discipline to react to "no" and what and what not to mess with at that age by giving a brief, firm, calm, consequence for ignoring "no" and continuing to climb, etc. That way they could have run of the house because they pretty much stayed out of hazardous things. I don't know his background being a foster child, if he was severely abused or something and you don't want to discipline? I was raised the same way though (taught with discipline not to get into everything) and it let my brother and have a lot of freedom. My toddlers could go anywhere and not trash people's homes (even my most stubborn ones), and I could watch everyone here alone while my husband traveled. If you want details let me know, I have a couple of toddler training books.

I have a 16-month old also and he sounds just like yours. I just try to do as much prep that I can while he naps. I have 5 kids too but he's the only one under 5 so I'm not in the same situation but I still feel it. Hang in there, you have an extra handful and there is not much you can do but the best you can.
Good luck!

My older baby was like this and my younger one is shaping up to be the same way. It'll drive you nuts!

I would try all my tricks as long as I could but when my patience ran out, I'd pop her in the Ergo, on my hip so my arms were still free, and just let her hang out there for a while until I finished what I absolutely had to do.

My husband wore her on his back, and really she liked that even better, but I don't like not being able to see her as easily when it's just me at home.

I learned how to challenge her. I'd let her into a (mommy-approved) restricted area, like the tupperware cabinet and she'd think she'd won some sort of huge victory. Or, even at that young age, I'd find a way to include her as much as I can. At 16 months, she was helping me make juice or "cooking" in her kitchen across the room from me. We also, at one point, left the rotated-out-toys box in her room and let her have at it, trying to figure out how to get into the toys, etc. If she got the box open, we'd rotate the toys right then and let her back at it.

Some days were better than others, and I didn't have other kids to juggle, but I was very, very (very) pregnant so I still couldn't keep up with her as much as I needed to.

OOOO! I just talked to my husband about this. Interesting idea: what if instead of a "baby-safe" area you had an "everyone but baby" area where some of the more baby un-friendly toys could live but the baby couldn't get to?

I tied the chair legs to the dining room table so he could not move them and use them to aid him find things that were high up to keep him away. You only tie one out of the four legs. While cooking he sat in his high chair with amusing things on the tray. I talked to him and told him stories to keep his mind occupied.