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it sounds so familiar, they do what they need to do - seem happy enough. It's only when you see them spark again, be truly happy again that you realise how not right it was before.
It's hard to explain this to preschool too. They keep saying to me "But she's happy". Well yeah, she's a good natured kid making the best of things. She's not crying. But if you could see her face light up with the joy of something really interesting you would see that what you are seeing is not fully happy. It's chugging along just ok.