So I’ve got 2 children for an object, that when I try to access through any transform-child-get method, I will get an unexpected response.

So here’s an object order that works in the hierarchy window:
Objects of interest in even positions

And here’s an order that does not work:
Objects of interest in odd positions

The inactive objects are empty objects containing a transform component only. The active child are objects containing a transform and a spriterenderer component to create a 2D backdrop.
The parent contains multiple components to create a 3D animation.
Parent components

For some reason trying to access the children of this object dynamically, through any transform-child-get command I can find only looks through the child in the even positions in the hierarchy window.

For example, in image 1:

//Will see and return both active children
.GetComponentsInChildren<Transform>();
.transform.GetChild(i);
.transform.childCount;

In image 2:

//Will see and return nothing
.GetComponentsInChildren<Transform>();
.transform.GetChild(i);
//Will see and return both inactive children
.transform.childCount;

I cannot for the life of me work it out.
Unity Editor 2021.3.9f1, also tried in 10f1.
I have not tried remaking the project from scratch as it’s quite large already and was hoping to find a solution first.

Any other ways to access children from a gameobject dynamically I can use to access their components?