Catch them being themselves

My daughter started playing the clown to get my attention, make me laugh. I was worried she’d always hide behind this and I also missed the other parts of her. I started to catch her acting other ways and reinforce that with positive attention. I also started taking time to talk to her before bed each night, and tell her how I loved it when we talked and connected. She toned down the clown (although she still makes me laugh) and I can see her again.