How do I tell my family about the layoff? (update)

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. How did you handle it?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 12 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.