Does everyone have to want kids? Seriously, I love kids and I adore my nieces and nephews but they are enough for me. I try to imagine a happy life being married with kids but it just doesn't appeal to me.
It really makes me angry when people try to make others feel guilty or sub-human when they state they dont want to have kids....
I have a 17 year old son, I love him so much I'm already starting to get separation anxiety when he talks about leaving home for college. But honestly, most days my husband and I look at each other and say "we should have got puppies". I was raised by a bi-polar, self-centered mom (no dad) that never showed me any affection. I don't know if it's necessary to have grown up with a good parenting example to be a good parent. I don't know why I struggle so with being a parent, maybe some people just aren't meant to have kids. Also being in the cult and never really getting a chance to be a normal young person and live a little before settling down has had an affect too.
As far as age goes, all people are different, all mature at different ages. I don't think you can generalize about age anymore than you can generalize about race. I'm in a bi-racial marrage and before we got married many told us a bi-racial marriage wouldn't work...30 years later...I'm glad we didn't listen to their narrowminded opinions!