Trusting Kids home alone

I need some parental advise here. As many of you know Taylor is turning 11 this Thursday. Man I wanna cry. Well I keep hearing that other parents leave their kids home alone and they do fine. I guess I am just paranoid. Not that I don't trust my kids but guess that I am scared that when you are in that heated moment are they really gonna know what they are supposed to do. You teach your kids what they are supposed to do in danger, but when it comes down too an actual dangerous situation I get confused and scared and don't react properly just panic. Ask my hubby when our house caught on fire I just panicked and tried spitting on the fire. HAHAHA I was a total mess.

Anyways, Saturday we had to run to the store to finish our Mothers Day gifts, Taylor and Calvin didn't want too go. So I thought about it and said yes. Man I gotta tell you. Both Devin and I were both giving them the run down of what too do and what not too do. They both were saying yes we know and finishing our sentences. We left my cell phone with them and I think we called too check on them 4 or 5 times in two hours.

Thank goodness everything was fine but mom was nervous as all can be. Please tell me when is the age that you start leaving them home alone.