My niece will be 2 next week. I asked her parents what she would like for her birthday, and they sent me a link to a website which sold educational games and told me to pick something off there. So I bought her two age appropriate games. I told my brother which ones I'd bought so nobody else accidentally got her the same ones. I've also got her some other presents that my brother doesn't know about. These are a pair of Cars Pajamas (as that is one of her favourite films at the moment) and a book about a very long sausage dog (because they have a daschund.)
But I still feel as though it's not enough. For context and as not to drop feed; She is my only siblings only child. My partner has no siblings so we'll never have any nieces and nephews on his side. My mum died when my niece was 4 months old and my dad is a disinterested alcoholic, who's completely off on his own agenda most of the time. He's been causing a lot of frustration and anguish for the family lately. But that's a whole other thread.
I suppose sometimes I feel as though I'm over compensating for my dad's lack of interest by trying to fill the void with gifts from me instead. Though at this stage I realise this is more to do with proving to my brother and his partner that his family do actually care about my niece. Rather than it just being about my niece as I realise the concept of gifts will still largely go over her head.
Having had no experience of buying family Children gifts until my niece came along. What's the etiquette? How many gifts are appropriate? or what over all value is acceptable.