Mom’s Apology for ‘Noisy’ Daughters Ruining Family’s Movie Night Finds Offended Woman

Illustration - Shutterstock

Rebecca Boyd wanted to take her 12-year-old daughter for a special outing: they decided to see Cinderella at Tannehill Premiere Cinema 14 in Bessemer, Alabama. Rebecca’s husband had recently lost his job, and the mother knew that money for outings would soon be scarce. But a group of teenagers sitting behind them in the movie theater seemed determined to ruin their evening.

Illustration - Shutterstock | Liu zishan

Two girls started chatting obnoxiously and kicking the backs of Rebecca and her daughter’s seats. Rebecca leaned over and asked them to stop, but the girls ignored her. More than once.

Rebecca caught up with the disruptive teens after the movie was over and explained that their behavior had ruined her experience, not to mention her daughter’s. The noisy girls were not at the theater on their own: their older brother accompanied them, and upon leaving the theater and returning home, he felt compelled to tell his mom what had happened.

The mom in question, Kyesha Smith Wood, had an incredible reaction.

Kyesha was mortified at the reported behavior of her 13-year-old daughter and stepdaughter, and decided to track Rebecca down through the obvious channel: social media. Kyesha swiftly logged on to Facebook and posted a heartfelt apology and direct request:

“I can assure you that these girls are being strongly dealt with and appropriately punished. This rude, disrespectful, and awful behavior is unacceptable ... My husband and I are having them write your apology letter tonight and we would like to pay for your next movie and snacks out of their allowance.”

Photo courtesy of Kyesha Smith Wood

“Please message me if this is you,” Kyesha continued, appealing directly to the offended mom, Rebecca, and her daughter. “I apologize profusely for their disrespect.”

Kyesha’s message was even posted on the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office page, before—predictably—going viral. It wasn’t long before Rebecca, the intended recipient, read it herself.

Photo courtesy of Kyesha Smith Wood

Rebecca, to her credit, quickly decided to forgive the disruptive teens. But she won’t forget, and for very good reason: the parents and children have become firm friends! The two moms have bonded over complementary parenting approaches, and a mutual appreciation for calling out Kyesha’s girls when they behaved inappropriately.

“She’s the most gracious, kind and forgiving woman,” Kyesha said of new friend Rebecca, speaking to ABC. “I am so humbled by that, and I’ve been telling people the real hero of the story is her.”

Photo courtesy of Kyesha Smith Wood

“My girls are so mortified,“ Kyesha continued. ”They are humiliated. And, that’s okay because I told them, ‘You know what, you’re not going to do this again!'”

The growing friendship between the two moms is testament to their effective, old-fashioned parenting skills, their moral values, and their integrity as human beings. Good for Rebecca for speaking up; good for Kyesha for not being defensive; kudos to both women for being big enough to forgive!

And we doubt very much that Kyesha’s girls will ever disrupt a movie theater again...

Share this delightful story if you enjoyed Kyesha and Rebecca’s story—and be sure to let us know your thoughts about friendship and parenting in the comments below!