Hiding a layoff from the family, bad idea? - what worked for you?

I have been leaving the house at the same time each day so my kids do not notice. This is my first time dealing with any of this. Bills are coming up and I cannot keep this quiet. How did you handle it?

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

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