Is sacrifice a necessary part of parenthood?

Some parents are involved in a sacrifice when they choose to have children. If they do it for no good reason, out of duty or as some kind of old age insurance.

In my opinion rational parents choose to have a child because they have a vision and want to create the best human relationship they possibly can with a child. Don't confuse challenges involved with raising the child as sacrifices. Just like you might have challenges in your ideal career or in romantic love there will be hardships raising a child. But self imposed responsibility is not a sacrifice if the higher goal is rational. The higher goal is the unique kind of human relationship only possible between a child and a parent, the values and joys it brings to life.

No sacrifice is involved in a healthy child parent relationship. Only self chosen responsibility from the side of the parent. In fact I would go as far as to claim it is impractical to consistently sacrifice in a child parent relationship. It will most likely turn into something unbearable for both and end bad.

To love is to value. "self-sacrificial love" is a contradiction and is impossible. Hopefully most parents value the children they choose to raise. No child would like to be considered a sacrifice. Just like no man or woman would like to be chosen as a sacrifice in romantic love.