I have a good friend who I’ve know for 38 years. She can be hard to get along with sometimes and she is very “I’m the best at everything” and so over the years she burnt bridges with family and she is no longer allowed to see her nieces and nephews. Recently I believe she’s stopped seeing most of her other friends and so has been contacting me quite a bit which I don’t mind as I’ve known her so long and she isn’t the same with me as others but she tries to take over when it comes to my kids. Telling them off if they’re messy in my house, asking them if they’ve tidied their rooms and got rid of dishes etc. not when she’s looking after them just when she pops around. She gives me “advice” on how my children’s diets are filled with sugar and she messages my 13 year old and asks her if she wants to go on walks etc. I do believe she is lonely as she does live alone but it makes me a bit annoyed that she tells them off or tells them to do things when I’m actually there. They are really close to her but she is really pushy and I do honestly believe that she thinks she is the one to help me bring them up and I know because of the person she is she will say that she has helped bring them up as I’m a single mum after their dad died. But she wasn’t there when they were younger (they are 10 and 13 now and he died when they were 6 months and 3 years old) when they were younger she was always to busy to see me even after he died. It’s only in the last few years she has appeared more often because she is constantly arguing with and losing friends. Am I being silly? I know she does mean well but sometimes it does feel like is trying to take over and use them as a substitute for her own nieces and nephews she’s not allowed to see.