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 would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. 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 8 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Do not wait until a bill surprises them. The longer it goes, the harder it gets.