From screen actor to family director

       My fingernail just grew back. The old one fell off after it got caught in a door. My forehead has also healed. I got 10 stitches after I ran into a mirror." said Nong Pip, as the toddler proudly showed of remnants of his injuries on his tiny body with an indisputable sense of pride.
       Nong Pip was surprisingly at ease despite meeting with mylife for the first time. The young toddler was far from being shy, thus confirming his parents' description of their little son as someone who has excellent social skills.
       And adding to Nong Pip's growing CV is a popularity vote cast by his classmates, eight out of 10 children to be precise, said that Nong Pip is the one person they want to have as their friend at school.
       "He is a great social being, not at all shy.This is what he gets from his mother because Praew was a talkative five-year-old herself when she began helping her father [the late Damrong Lathapipat, a former secretary-general of the Democrat Party] by answering the phone from various party bigwigs.
       "But if you are talking about physical simi-larities then it is definitely me. Especially if you look at old photos of me when I was young and compare them - you can't tell the difference between me or Pip," said a beaming Ravit "Pip" Teutvongse, the 40-yearold-actor from Channel 3 and father of Nong Pip who share the same nickname.
       PLAYING THE ROLE OF FATHER TO TWO CHILDREN
       Today Ravit's scripts are for real because his role in real life is a father to two lovely children: Nong Pip (Thornton Teutvongse,three years old) and Peppin Teutvongse, six months old. His wife is Darika "Praew" Lathapipat,37, who currently serves as ViceRector of Dhurakijbandit University as well as taking care of her family.
       Ravit and Darika dated for two years before tying the knot. Ravit said that what attracted him to his future wife was her straightforward manner, easy-going attitude and a "fighting"spirit.
       Darika maintained that what won her heart from the very beginning till the day they became a family, was his cool temperament,generosity, and the fact that he rarely gets angry. They always talk openly.
       "We are considered pretty lucky because our families are full of elders. There are so many helpers when it comes to taking care of our children, especially Nong Pip because he is the first grandchild on both sides of the family ... There's a chance that he might get spoiled rotten which is of concern and requires close supervision in bringing him up in the right way. But the advantage is that there are so many relatives taking care of him, it allows me and Praew to concentrate on our work as if we never had children before. If we want to be by ourselves, we can do that too," Ravit said.
       ARTISTIC DNA: FROM FATHER TO SON
       Once Mum and Dad are free from work,they make sure they make up for lost time by involving themselves in activities with Nong Pip. The most popular family pastime is creating works of art.
       It's only natural because Ravit is a graduate from the Arts Department of Chulalongkorn University. It's his forte which is why he has a passionate interest in art. Ravit has already
       held a semi-abstract art show.
       Nong Pip often sees his father drawing and painting on canvas. This is why Nong Pip is interested in the arts as well and has shown an aptitude for drawing.
       Ravit collects artwork created by his son to examine Nong Pip's artistic development and to see if any progress at each stage matches his at his age or not; Ravit also wants to collect the artwork for his son for when he grows older.
       "He's seen me drawing since he was young.He knew how to hold a paint brush at a very young age. I just let him draw and have not taught him anything since he was three years old. He'd draw a three-step waterfall by drawing three circles overlapping each other or he'd draw a candle and add in more details on the flame. There are things he can't draw and asks me to help and will also add in a few touches here and there."
       The love of art made Ravit make a major change in his younger days. He moved from the prestigious Bangkok Christian College where he had studied till the ninth grade (Matayom 3), and enrolled at the Thaivichitsilpa Art School which is a vocational school renowned for its art courses. He honed his skills there and eventually matriculated as an art major at Chulalongkorn University.
       "Studying at Thaivichitsilpa made me very happy. At the Christian College only one hour of art classes were offered in an entire week. But at Thaivichitsilpa there were so many art classes offered. It was as if I had discovered my purpose. There was a lot of work to be done but I persevered no matter how hard it was.
       "I found out that no matter what we do,as long as we love it, have a passion and stay with it everyday, there will be a way through eventually. When I take care of my son, I place great importance on finding out what it is that he does best. Is he happy with it? I believe that if we discover whatever it is that we like to do, the financial rewards from it will eventually come. Or even if you don't want to make a living out of it, having art in your life helps you achieve happiness." said Ravit.
       However Nong Pip is only three years old which is why Ravit doesn't want to rush things for his son and focus on just one direction. He finds many activities which is why Nong Pip gets to be involved and learn things which he isn't accustomed to.
       "Art, music, sports and imagination I am not concerned much because Nong Pip likes to do everything. What I really want him to pay attention to is the logic of mathematics in order to achieve a sense of equilibrium. So I let him play Lego or something that will help build upon the foundation of maths. I would like him to be like his mother as well because she is extremely good with numbers."he said.
       WORKING MUM'S SECRET
       Darika may be a mother of two young children but she also holds a high-ranking management position at Dhurakij Pundit University in charge of finance, purchasing and IT technology.
       This is a job that requires much devotion,yet she still places immense importance on family. It is her first priority.
       After work, she spends almost all her evenings with her family, and that includes weekends as well. Her home is a soothing environment filled with green trees large and small. Appointments which are not important, she simply will not go to - which is why she's earned a reputation for deliberately missing appointments with her friends.
       "I am not the type that likes to go out just for the sake of it or go shopping. I like staying at home. Once I step into my house I don't want to go out. My husband also likes to stay at home. He takes care of the trees while Nong Pip likes to play in the garden, observing insects, ants, centipedes, and Carp fish. The environment at our house is relatively good,along with a plethora of elders.
       "I am used to staying with a large family.My mother's house is in this compound and my younger brother also lives here. Not too far away are my uncle and auntie. Let's just say that this soi is full of my relatives. It's full of warmth and love, so to speak. There are many activities, both in and out of the house for Nong Pip. At times there are queues for Nong Pip but everyone asks us [out of respect]and we decide where Nong Pip can go and what he can do," said Darika.
       Besides her duties as a mother, Darika is constantly recruiting family members to teach.So far, Ravit has taken the bait and is currently teaching the basics of drawing and the related art subjects; her younger brother also fills in as a part-time teacher in the Economics Department at Dhurakij Pundit University.
       BRINGING UP CHILDREN IN A LARGE FAMILY
       Both Ravit and Darika admit that rearing children in a large extended family has its pros and cons.
       The advantage is a general feeling of warmth but "alone time" between parents and children can be limited.
       Another down side is the fact that the method of bringing up a child might not be what the parents had hoped for at first. The truth is that the older generation is usually prone to letting their grandchildren have their way. Hence, it is imperative that discussions should take place between parents and the older family members, so that the proper and optimal way of bringing up a child is achieved. It is easier said then done.
       "Some families just shut out the older relatives. We chose not to do that. We consider ourselves lucky because there are many helping hands. There are plenty of toys and clothes.We barely spend money in this area. But at times when we think Nong Pip is being spoilt,we talk it over and explain that if he has his way all the time, he might not listen to us in the future.
       "But when it comes to major issues, our elders always give us the respect since we are the parents. We get to decide. For example the choice of school and school fees, we made it clear that we want to be responsible for it. It is our choice and duty. If we want to be with our son or go outside with Nong Pip,older members of the family understand and give us the freedom to do so. Right now my family consists of four persons, father, mother and two children. It feels complete, it gives a sense of bonding, I love my wife more than ever and am concerned for my children even more," said Ravit.