A new study of five-hundred dads with daughters under the age of eighteen has revealed the top skills that fathers with a little girl have mastered. Dads of daughters know how to do a French plait, who Barbie’s boyfriend is and all of the words to Olly Murs' 'Troublemaker' according to a new survey. Girl-daddies also know how to dance with their little girl on their feet, can name the members of One Direction, how to paint nails, and can alleviate a fight between mums and daughters without upsetting either party. Impressive eh? Wendy Hill, a spokesperson for Mattel who conducted the study, commented on the interesting new research:

"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."

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 percent of dads tell their daughters that they can be anything. All together now...awww! Researchers found that dads help their daughters prepare for the future with 54 percent thinking that encouraging their daughter's confidence is one of the most important life lesson they can teach, while 51 percent try to teach her practical skills. Ms. Hill 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."

For eight out of ten dads with a daughter, empowering them to become strong young women is of utmost importance. Letting their little girl 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 provide according to the study's findings. The fifty-item list includes some surprising results, including the fact that daddies know the difference between fuchsia and pink, how to remove chewing gum from long hair and what a 'pirouette' is. Check out the Top 20 for yourself: TOP 20 THINGS ONLY DADS WITH DAUGHTERS KNOW

1. Who Barbie's boyfriend is
2. What a pirouette is
3. Glitter gets everywhere
4. How to give the perfect cuddle
5. How to make her feel special
6. How to clean showers full of hair
7. How to shop
8. How to make everything better
9. Girls like getting dirty too
10. When Strictly Come Dancing is on
11. Who the members of One Direction are
12. How to dance with her on your feet
13. It will take hours to get into the bathroom
14. That girls want to play football as well
15. They don't always want pink and purple
16. How to skip
17. That chocolate or ice cream covers a multitude of sins
18. How important it is to colour co-ordinate
19. That girls also like to build dens and climb trees
20. How to play with dolls

Sound familiar? Tag a dad with one (or all!) of these skills in the Facebook comments or join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie