Research Reveals The Top 50 Things Only Dads With Daughters Know

How to French plait, who Barbie’s boyfriend is and all the words to Olly Murs’ ‘Troublemaker’ are just some of the things only Dads of Daughters will know, according to a new survey.

A study of 500 dads with daughters under the age of 18 has revealed the top 50 things fathers with a little girl will have mastered.

Knowing all the members of One Direction, how to paint nails and understanding the term ‘pirouette’ also feature in the list.

Dads of daughters also know how to dance with her on their feet, and will know exactly how to alleviate a fight between mother and child without upsetting either party.

Wendy Hill, Brand Activation Director for Mattel, which conducted the study for Barbie, said: “By joining in with activities such as cartwheels and playtime, dancing and making fairy wings together, dads are showing their daughters just how much they matter – and that everything they do is important.”

Knowing the difference between fuchsia and pink, knowing how to play with dolls with her, and how to remove chewing gum from long hair are also on the top 50 list of things only dads with daughters will know.

Dads of daughters know it is important to shatter stereotypes – and that girls want to play football, build dens and climb trees too.

How to behave at a pop concert, knowing when Strictly Come Dancing is on, and how to run a ‘spa day’ at home are things dads of little girls will be familiar with.

Dads will also be a dab-hand at ice skating, face painting, tying ballet shoes, colour-coordinating and baking cakes as well as being able to give the perfect cuddle.

While knowing all four members of Little Mix, knowing the winners of last year’s The X Factor and being able to being able to name Taylor Swift’s latest hit also also fall within the role of being dad to a daughter.

The study shows that half of dads know it is important to show their daughters that being kind and brave is more important than being pretty, and when it comes to empowering their daughter, 42 per cent of dads tell their daughters that they can be anything.

Dads help their daughters prepare for the future with 54 per cent thinking that encouraging their daughter’s confidence is one of the most important life lesson they can teach, while 51 per cent try to teach her practical skills.

Letting their imaginations soar is key for a third of dads who believe their daughter’s dolls help foster imagination.

When dads join playtime, two thirds recognise that this helps build their daughters self-confidence and that time spent in her imaginary world is an investment in her real world – while four in 10 wish they could devote more time to playing with their daughters.

Letting her make her own mistakes, teaching her the value of money at an early age and encouraging her to be brave are amongst the other ‘life lessons’ dads try to give their little girls.

And researchers found that for eight in 10 dads with a daughter, empowering them to become strong young women is of utmost importance.

As Dr. Linda Nielsen of Wake Forest University explains in her work, decades of research show that girls who have loving, communicative, supportive relationships with their dads from early childhood on are less likely to suffer from a lack of self-confidence and self-reliance as she grows up.

Wendy Hill, Brand Activation Director for Mattel continues: “A huge part of a dad’s role is to empower their daughters to be confident, imaginative and sure of who they are.

Global research shows how time spent in her imaginary world is an investment in her real world, and the importance of nurturing the father-daughter relationship to raise the next generation of girls to know their limitless potential.”