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How can we determine whether someone is mature enough to consent to sex or contracts in general?

I would really appreciate all answers to this! Thanks! I am an 18 year old male and would one day like children but am in no way ready for them. I am reading some parenting and relationship books and trying to understand what is and how to have a healthy family. Lately I've been thinking about how so many people have children around ages 20-26, atleast that's what I've noticed. I am 18, I am young, I don't even have a job, car, education, grounded principles, a successful life to share, experience, maturity or anything else and in 5 years I'm supposed to be having kids? HOW ON EARTH do people do that? How could I or others possibly be ready in 5 or so years? I understand biologically it's more healthy for women to have kids younger, is it that fertility begins to decline or egg quality begins to decline? Is it very significant the declination? I just seriously don't understand how people can have children so young, what advice would you give an 18 year old (You enlightened ones out there) on age of having children? Sorry if this seems kind of scattered. Basically how on earth are people who just became adults expected to have children in a couple years? What advice would you give to someone like me? Is it okay to have kids after 30? In what ways is it bad for a child for the mother to have the child at a later stage in life? Thank you!