A wireless mesh network includes a plurality of nodes coupled together in parent-child relationships. A child node is configured to cascade listening rate changes upstream to a parent node to perform low-latency communications. The child node transmits an authentication message to the parent node indicating the listening rate change. The child node sets a timer and waits for an acknowledgement from the parent node. If the child node receives the acknowledgement, then the child node and the parent node change listening rate to permit low-latency communications. In addition, if the parent node loses network access, the parent node sets a timer and then waits to abandon the child node until after the timer elapses.