Buying friends children presents for birthdays

[Kaleandberry]

I asked my friend what she wanted me to buy her 2 year old for her birthday and she asked me to buy a £25-30 electric toy. I am not working, I was thinking of a little outfit or something, maybe a summer dress from next, something under £10. Maybe I am being tight, do you think I am?
I do not have children so I don't know the social norm.

YANBU, £10 would be my max budget too. I would only ask for a £20-30 gift from a grandparent or auntie.

YANBU.

DH used to spend £50 each on the 2 children on one of his friends. Sometimes more. £200 a year for birthdays and Christmas! This is going to make me sound really grabby but I got fed up of them not even acknowledging our birthdays with a card and said that now we've got DC1 on the way I don't want to do it any more. We've agreed £10 max from now on, which is enough to buy a new outfit.

I have a ban on anyone buying my child gifts & I do not buy gifts for friend's children unless we're invited to a party & then it's a small token gift. We have a large family & therefore lots of nieces & nephews & I have a reasonable limit for them that I will not exceed. My own DS is young but for his birthday for example, we have purchased him an item & suggested a very small contribution (limited to £5)towards this is welcome should his aunties & uncles wish to make one. If not, then it's absolutely fine. Main reason for this is to limit what he's given (I don't allow any sort of guns, swords etc) & the amount he's given. Again, with a big family it can get out of hand, quickly. Grandparents insist on giving money, which so far has always been used practically (for when he needs clothes or shoes etc) bit I'll probably let him choose something he wants once he's old enough. I know that probably sounds a bit controlling but the alternative is much worse I reckon.

Your friend would want to get a grip OP, I hope you're not considering buying that toy. Tell her straight up you simply couldn't afford it.

I don't have children but lots of my friends do. If I said to any of them "what shall I buy DC for their birthday?" they would all say "oh nothing" or "You don't have to buy them anything, but if you want to get them something, they will be happy with anything you choose."

I do always check that the present isn't something they already have though.

A dress sounds lovely and I know my friends love it when I get their DC clothes. Children grow so fast, so it's lovely to get them a little outfit they can wear.

No, you're not being tight. Your gift sounds lovely

Blooming heck, me and my friends keep presents to a fiver!

You're not tight at all. £10 is plenty. My friends all have kids and I made a big fuss when they were born and for their first birthday. Then when my child was born, no fuss and not even card for their first birthday. Kind of relieved cause now I don't feel obliged to do anything.

YANBU

£10 sounds about right. I think extravagant gifts when either given, received (suggested) make the whole situation a little awkward.

We gave a friend's daughter some books for her birthday. I think it was about £15 value. They gave our son a Radio Flyer cart a month later. Made me feel really awkward.