Lastborn children tend to compensate for their younger age by stealing the spotlight from their older siblings. Though their attention-hogging tactics can range from innocent to manipulative, it can work in your favor if you know how to use their traits your parenting advantage. Here, how to give lastborn kids the attention that they deserve.

1. Nobody puts baby in a corner.
Young children often feel left out because they're "not old enough," but even though your 4-year-old daughter may be the youngest of the lot, that doesn't mean you should treat her like a baby. "Teach the younger child to be independent,"

2. Dim the spotlight.
By hook or by crook, the baby of the family has got to have all the attention, so having your 5-year-old daughter do a mock-"Thriller" dance in front of the TV while you're trying to watch the 7 o'clock news is not out of the question. But while it's important that you give her your fair share of personal time so she feels equally as important as her siblings, parents shouldn't give the baby preferential treatment.

3. Hold him accountable for his actions.
Yes, we know he's your baby, your precious youngest child. But if you let your 5-year-old skip out on doing his chores, not only is he going to be more difficult to discipline as he gets older, but his siblings will likely resent the preferential treatment he's receiving. "Be sure your lastborn does not get away with murder in regard to family rules and regulations,"

4. Protect him when the going gets rough.
As a parent of multiple kids, you also inherit an invisible referee jersey. Older children often look down on their younger sibling, and may try to bully or tease him. When things get dicey, you need to step in, not just to teach your older child to be civil, but also to protect the soft underbelly of your youngest. "If the older children are not letting the youngest child finish a sentence, you need to be there to say, 'Wait a minute. So-and-so has something to say, and you're cutting him off.

5. Say no -- and feel fine about it.
The youngest child is generally more self-centered than the rest, so don't be surprised if your 6-year-old daughter is throwing a tantrum in the middle of a mall because she absolutely needs that pink dress to show off in church. However, rather than buying the fashion disaster to halt her tears, it's important not to indulge her every request. Treating her as you would her siblings -- that is, buying her things that she needs, not necessarily everything she demand.

6. Whenever necessary, call baby's bluff.
The youngest child, desperate for attention, is likely to exaggerate the facts if it's convenient. Your 8-year-old is running a fever and is too sick to go to school? Don't think twice to grab a thermometer to prove that he's wrong -- and that you won't let him get away with it.

7. Explain yourself.
Lastborns can be secretive, pushy, or passive when it comes to feeling excluded. If your child clams up, it's up to you to open the lines of communication so your child's anger doesn't fester into long-term resentment.

8. Integrate your lastborn into the mix.
Due to age differences, it's hard to find activities your 13-year-old, 10-year-old, and 6-year-old can (and will want to) do together. Your teenage boy might want to play computer games, but Halo is just too hard for the 6-year-old to understand, and sports -- considering your kids' differing motor skills -- is another conundrum. So try something everyone can enjoy.

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