Proposal Fail: 3-Year-Old Puts Preschooler in a Headlock After He Asks Her to Marry Him

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Flying the flag for feisty girls everywhere, a 3-year-old Missouri preschooler was caught putting a fellow student in a headlock after receiving an unwanted proposal.

Kynlee McFetridge of St. Charles, Missouri, was quizzed by her teacher, and answered quite succinctly that she had administered the headlock because the little boy, Jack, had asked her to marry him.

Kynlee’s mom, Kristen, filmed a charming conversation between herself and her daughter after the event, and Fox2 shared the video. In front of her mom’s camera, Kynlee (no longer so infuriated by the perilous proposal), explained. “I took a headlock down on Jack and took him down,” Kynlee began, “because kids don’t get married!”

The 3-year-old’s lightning-quick reflexes are no accident. The born fighter was diagnosed with a heart condition at birth, and endured open heart surgery at just 5 months of age. Her father, Scott, introduced his tough toddler to wrestling as soon as she was big enough to stand on her own two feet to help her gain body strength and better coordination.

He had no idea that Kynlee’s wrestling skills would be warding off the boys quite so quickly.

Scott collected his daughter from school on the day of the now-infamous headlock and noticed that Kynlee’s name registered pink on the school’s color-coded behavior chart. For all the non-parents out there: that’s not good. Kynlee’s teacher explained what happened to the concerned dad but could barely contain her giggles.

It was all Scott could do not to burst out laughing, too.

Good Morning America shared Scott’s response: “I was trying to be a good dad and reprimand her,“ Scott said, ”but it was pretty hilarious.“ Parenting principles reigned supreme, however, and Kynlee was put on time-out as punishment. ”We made it happen,” Scott shared.

He went on to describe his daughter as a “firecracker” with intelligence beyond her years but admitted that he had never taught her how to perform a headlock. “I was just trying to get her stronger and coordinated,“ the bemused parent revealed, ”and I guess she figured out what I was doing ... I didn’t really realize she learned it.”

It seems that love and laughter go a long way towards teaching kids the lessons they need, although a brief time-out always has its place. Kynlee knows that putting a classmate in a headlock was wrong, Scott confirmed. He added that the unrequited love drama and its dramatic conclusion had not caused bad blood between Kynlee and her young admirer: Kynlee and Jack remain “really good buddies.”

More power to you, Jack, for taking a rejection on the chin! (Almost literally, in this case.)

“Every dad wants their little girl to put a headlock down on a boy,“ Scott joked, ”especially one who had a rough start like her. Hopefully she can still do that in about 12 years.”

All the single ladies, put your hands up! Kynlee is your new poster girl.