The Garage Light
A monthly newsletter for dads. Mailed to your house.
A real thing in your mailbox once a month, written by another dad.
Each issue is printed, stapled, and mailed. It’s written for dads who’d rather be present than online — dads who are doing the work and quietly figuring it out. Inside you’ll find a project to build with your kid, real questions to ask them, a field guide to what they’re going through this month, and stories from other dads who are in it with you.
There’s no app to download and no archive to scroll. No paid community, podcasts, or videos.
Once a month, it shows up. You read it on the porch, or at the kitchen table, or in the car waiting for school pickup. Then you leave it somewhere your kid might pick it up.
A real thing in a world dominated by the digital.
That’s the whole thing.
Cancel anytime by emailing one person who actually reads it.
10% of every subscription goes directly to Children of Fallen Patriots.
They provide college scholarships and educational counseling to the children of military service members who have died in the line of duty.
what dads are saying
How cherished a friend's monthly thoughts in this era. No AI, no need for edits, just a conversation with an old friend. On paper. I'm going to look forward to this every month.
The part about walking slow and seeing the world through your kid's eyes is one of my favorite parts about being a parent. It gets me every time how excited she is to point out the moon, stars, bugs. Makes me appreciate the wonder and beauty in this world. Ok, sentimentality over. Thanks for sending.
Loved the newsletter. Great job. We'll have to try red beans and rice. I can definitely relate to the parenting feelings of not knowing what you're doing. Even with four and the oldest in high school, there's always something new. You're already a great dad and you're gonna get better and better every day.
I actually read your letter, put it down near the changing station, and William here managed to hit it with a long range projectile piss stream.
Got your newsletter man. Really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for including me.
That was a good read, Mark. Patience on target this week for me.
Get a free sample issue.
We’ll send you a PDF of a recent issue. Plus the occasional note about deals or discounts — that’s it. This is not an email newsletter and we will not send you regular emails.
A note from the founder.
I feel confident knowing a few things:
I love being a dad. Being a parent is hard. Men are not great at talking about deep stuff. People love mail.
I was looking for ways to connect with my friends about the most important thing affecting all of us: fatherhood.
My friends are spread around the country. It’s hard to see them regularly, especially with careers and small kids at home. We are all going through this amazing, sometimes ridiculous, joyful ride of raising humans, but we don’t have a great way to share that experience together.
I wanted to share that more.
But an email chain? We already have enough in our inboxes. Social media? We could all use less. Text? It’s good, but not great for going deep.
So I thought, “Why not send them a letter?”
I texted a bunch of my friends and asked, “Would you want to get a letter from me about being a dad?” Not only did they say “Yes”, but most of them said, “Heck yes!”
It was clear to me that other dads wanted to share in the experience of being a dad with other dads. And everyone likes getting mail. It’s fun and unique in the modern world.
I sent the first letter and got feedback. Other dads loved it. They loved getting a letter in the mail. They loved having another dad share some thoughts about fatherhood. It sparked new conversations with friends I rarely spoke with. We started sharing pictures of our kids. We started thinking more about what it means to be a dad.
Well then, I shared that letter on Reddit (r/daddit). I was scared. I know how harsh Reddit can be. But then a crazy thing happened. Other dads also wanted the letter. They also loved it.
And so The Garage Light was born.
Why the name? It provokes an image of a dad working late. It’s after the kids have gone to bed and a dad has that sliver of time in the day when the kids are down, work is done, and he gets a bit of time (aside from dishes, lawn work, and everything else). The garage is where men tinker and hang out. It’s where we store our tools alongside the scooters and baseball gear.
In our digital world, everything is optimized for algorithms. But being a dad cannot be 100% optimized. It cannot rely on an algorithm. Neither should thinking about being a dad.
Every month, I sit down and write The Garage Light for other dads. I share ideas for activities, great dad recipes, and things I messed up as a father trying his best. It’s just my honest thoughts and takes on what it means to be a dad and how to do your best at it.
The Garage Light is a way to share these ideas and connect with other dads. It’s a way for dads to just…think about being a dad.
I hope you join us and enjoy.
— Mark
questions