A method includes receiving streaming data to be processed by a plurality of processing elements comprising one or more stream operators. Time metadata may be added to a parent tuple at a first stream operator. A first time metric may be determined for a first child tuple of the parent tuple at a second stream operator. The first time metric may be determined, at least in part, from the time metadata. The second stream operator may receive the first child tuple from the first stream operator. The method may include transmitting a second child tuple of the parent tuple from the second stream operator to a third stream operator if the time metric is inside a time limit. In addition, the method may include ending processing of the first child tuple if the time metric is outside of the time limit.