If I could count on a sleeping baby and a few solid hours of sleep myself, I was more than happy to cancel plans, says a writer for Romper.com.

I thought more people would understand how difficult it is to get a child to bed and, as a result, be respectful of my kids’ sleep schedules. That’s not always the case, though, and more often than not I had to justify a late arrival or the decision to skip out on an event because I value my children’s sleep.