Suggestions needed!

[Thalassa]

I have my first birthday party outside of a private pool tomorrow! I'm super excited, but I've run into a problem. You see, unless you rent the whole rec center, many centers in my area don't do a private swim time. It's public, all the way. As any mermaid knows, going out in public=mobbed by kids and parents taking pictures and asking questions. Usually the best you can hope for is that you go during a not-busy time or that the parent is okay with the competition pool (which is a lot deeper and usually a lot colder).

Anyway, I want to focus on the children in the party. I am, after all, being paid to entertain THEM, not the entire rec center. Any ideas on how I can politely, but firmly, let people know that I'm being hired for the hour and that I can't accommodate their child/pictures?

(NOTE: I do try to avoid doing events during very public hours, and the lifeguards are aware of who I am and what I do.)

[Miyu]

Are you going to be mostly out of the water? Maybe you could tie groups balloons around the area/weight them down, to kind of make a "perimeter", and maybe have a sign saying "private party" or "____'s birthday party". Ask the lifeguards to make an announcement that it's a private party, and not to disturb the mermaid because they could "scare her away" LOL... And of course have business cards to hand out, maybe also have the parents of the birthday kid have a few to pass out in case people are bugging them.

Mer-tenders should also be pretty good for averting the horde :P