Hiding a layoff from the family, bad idea? (update)

I have been leaving the house at the same time each day so my kids do not notice. Bills are coming up and I cannot keep this quiet.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 13 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Shame is common after a layoff even when it is not your fault. Saying it out loud to one person first helped me.