By Clyde Noel

While you may feel your teen is on another planet when you try to talk with them, there are steps you can take to foster good communication. Try using positive Acts of Kindness™ stickers like “YOU are so special to me,” available from Carma Design.

Los Altos residents Emma and Carter Hand launched Carma Design last month to market the feel-good stickers. The Los Altos-based company is donating 5 percent of its profits to Child Advocates, an organization that provides a powerful voice for abused and neglected children.

“I was visiting my grandfather in St. Louis. When I left him, I left sweet little notes hidden in the kitchen, the bedroom and places where he would see them after I left,” Emma said. “Weeks after I left, he was so touched, it occurred to me something so simple could be used by other people.”

When Emma wrote her wedding vows, she mentioned the thoughtful things Carter did for her. She realized that similar notes could be a product for everyone.

“Not everyone is comfortable expressing their feelings. Putting those thoughts on a sticker and placing them in an accessible place can do a lot emotionally,” Emma said.

Carter also writes notes, but said they aren’t as sweet as Emma’s. “They mean just as much and I want her to realize that,” he said.

The stickers are available in nine categories: romance, friends, work, him, her, families, travel, children and notes to oneself.

The stickers for friends resemble paint strips and include sayings like “I find comfort in your voice,” “Your friendship is a gift,” “The time we spend together flies” and “I love your sense of humor.”

Emma fills her days as a marketing manager in a Menlo Park company. She fills her evenings with Carter (the “Car” in Carma) and volunteers as a Child Advocate.

For more information, logon to www.actsofkindness.com.