Hiding a layoff from the family, bad idea? - any advice?

I have been leaving the house at the same time each day so my kids do not notice. I do not usually post, so bear with me. Bills are coming up and I cannot keep this quiet. Did it get easier afterwards?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 11 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.