help me protect dd from 'middle child syndrome'

[mumnosGOLDisbest]

I read another thead which mentioned 'middle child syndrome' and it got me thinking. I was a middle childbut the first in a second marriage so never felt 'not special'. My own dc3 is 6 months and obviously takes a lot of my time and attention. ds(dc1) is a bit lively at the moment so also taking my attention. although i dont have a favourite i also feel i get on better/have more in common with dc1. that just leavws dd1(my middle child) who happily plods along, not making a fuss, hardly ever naughty, no longer my baby but still too little to be the responsible big sister she wants to be. In short she is becoming a typical 'middle child' :(

How can i make her feel special too?
If you were a middle child what did you resent the most?

She sounds just like my DD2, nearly always happy, good, fuss free, smiley. DD1 on the other hand is high maintenance and either furiously sad and angry or overwhelmingly boisterously happy, always in trouble, always attention grabbing. DS is the baby (even though he is now 3) and temperamentally much like DD1 - so much attention grabbing there too. So yes, in some ways I think poor old DD2 misses out on attention and in other ways I think - wow, isn't DD2 so adaptable and happy, she learns from all DD1's mistakes, takes time to think things out herself rather than rushing in, is the arch diplomat, is universally loved by all and extremely popularity at school. Maybe being the middle child isn't so bad, or maybe it's just her character and nothing to do with being in the middle. Anyway, I shall watch other replies with interest.

untill today i thought the same of my dd1 but its got me thinking.

I did wonder if my DS was going to be 'middle child' as he has an older sister and as it turned out a younger brother who has AS. However he has turned out to be independent and confident with a wide circle of friends and is coping well at university. Sometimes I have felt closer to my DD simply because she's a girl and working in the same field as me but I find DS1 hilarious and also thoughtful and kind, my fears were groundless and I don't think I did anything special or different with him.

I am a teacher and have taught 5 children out of a family of 14 children. They are all loving, well behaved, well adjusted children and I once asked dad what his secret was. He told me that as well as having lots of 'family time' as a big group, he and his wife ensure that each child has half an hour of 1:1 time with each of them once a week. I think at the time they only had 8 children at home as the others were older and the oldest three had families of their own. He said the best part of being a dad was getting to know your children as individual people. The pupil I was teaching at the time spent his time with dad collecting and sticking football stickers and his time with mum watching 'Robot Wars'. I cant speak from personal experience but I wonder if the key is to find an activity that you do together on a regular basis where she has your full attention without her siblings being around?

thats a good idea thanks mamabear. might be easier said than done untill baby dd is a bit bigger though.
So far all the symptoms if 'middle child syndrome' seem quite positive (confident, independent, kind, loved bt all) :)