Also, my older two kids were forward facing at 1 and 20 pounds. I honestly didn't know better. We were also two broke college students trying to be parents. No judgement here. This site helped me make an educated decision about my children and keeping them safe in the car. I decided to re-rear face my then 2 year old and she stayed that way until almost 5 because she preferred it. She doesn't like her legs dangling over the seat, and preferred to prop the up on the seat back. She would still be rear facing, her choice, if she didn't outgrow her seat. That was MY decision, for MY child. You can only do what you think is best for your kids. I've had 2 SUVs and a few cars along the way, we are now looking at vans because of convenience with 3 kids in car seats and we can get more for our money (as opposed to a big ole SUV). Good luck to you, and please keep an open mind. These people aren't judging you, they just want what's best for your kids.